


Why do I love you?

by caitlicorn



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Draco Malfoy - Freeform, F/M, Fanfiction, Harry Potter - Freeform, Hogwarts, Slytherin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2016-03-03
Packaged: 2018-04-29 06:22:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 33,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5118434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caitlicorn/pseuds/caitlicorn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlotte-Bella Smith, a Hogwarts student. Her life was pretty normal growing up, or so she thinks... one school holiday her parents tell her some pretty big news that only her best friends Mel and Claire can relate to, they help and support her through this difficult time but along the way she finds an unexpected distraction from her life... Draco Malfoy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginging

Mesmerised, I stood staring at the shiny crimson red paintwork. This is where I start my journey to change my fate, to become my own person not someone my parents want me to be. My mum was in Ravenclaw and my dad was in Hufflepuff, they want me to become an Auror or a healer but I don’t want to be either of them, I want to be well known for my potions.

I stood next to my mother and father waiting the moment that I leave this life, the moment that I find out who I really am, the moment I find out my destiny. I gave my now crying mother a last hug goodbye and my proud father a kiss on the cheek and boarded the train. We managed to get to Kings Cross earlier than needed but by the time I built up the guts to actually board the train there were no empty carriages left

                “Is it ok if I sit here? Everywhere else is full” I asked two very pretty girls, one looked older and had blue eyes and blonde hair she was wearing a ‘Black Veil Brides’ top, one of my favourite muggle bands, and black skinny jeans, the other had blonde hair and green eyes and was wearing a ‘Pierce The Veil’ another one of my favourite muggle bands and some purple skinny jeans. The pair looked very similar they had the same facial features they had to at least be related.

                “Of course you can, you like ‘fall out Boy’, we’re going be make great friends I can tell” the brown haired one boasted in an almost shout. I looked down at my outfit (<http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=153617515>) and smiled.

                “Yeah we love fall out boy, I’m Claire and this is my sister Melony, but she doesn’t like that name so call her Mel” the blue eyed one said, and judging by the evil stare that Mel was giving Claire I’m guessing she really must hate that name.

                “Hi, I’m Charlotte” I said trying to hide the excitement in my voice, I’ve just made my first friends and judging by their band tops and backpack full of pranking materials, we’re going to get along just fine.

I excused myself for a moment from the pair to go to say a final goodbye to my weeping parents through the window. The train ride to Hogwarts was magical, the whole way me, Mel and Claire got to know each other a lot more, Mel is the same age as me she likes dogs, she’s sarcastic, can’t wait to dye her hair different colours, all of the same bands as me and she even introduced me to some new ones on her laptop, a muggle devise that lets you play music, games, search the ‘internet’ which in its self is magic that I have never imagined in my life, she found out about them from a muggle born friend that Claire befriended in her first year, Claire is a year older than me and Mel which is great because she can help me perfect my potions, Mel also likes reading muggle books because apparently she just gets lost inside the story or something like that, we agreed that I’ll have to read her favourite books ‘Girl Online’ by ‘Zoe Sugg’ who is a ‘YouTuber’, a person who creates videos on a website one the internet, she also showed me her channel on the laptop and let me tell you her makeup tips are amazing! I also found out that Mel hates people who have no manners, like me, she doesn’t like to be wrong, also like me, and she doesn’t like people who pick on younger people for no reason, yet again, you guessed it like me.

Now Mel and Claire are very similar in their personalities but Claire has a few differences, she doesn’t like people who are mean to each other, she sticks to what she knows and doesn’t really like to explore new things, but if someone threatens her family or friends she has no boundaries on what she will do, and she never gets in trouble for it either, last year she hexed a student for calling her mother a whore because she got pregnant while she was still at Hogwarts however she didn’t have Claire until she had left and it was a planned pregnancy with her fiancée Sirius Black, yes the Sirius Black the guy in prison for murder, but when the student went to tell Professor Dumbledore about what had happened he said ‘Nonsense Claire Black is one of the nicest students in this school, how on earth could she possibly be capable of something like that!’. Claire is in Slytherin, she wasn’t surprised about it unlike the rest of the people that knew her, only she knew what she was capable of, well her and the students on the receiving end anyway. I also found out about their family a bit too; her mother is called Eve Black, her father Sirius Black, her mother’s sister is Lily Potter leaving the famous Harry Potter as their cousin, their godfather is professor Snape and another guy called Remus Lupin.

The rest of the train ride Claire filled us in on what teachers are best not to get on the wrong side of, what teachers are best to get close to if you want to have an easy life in Hogwarts, what students to steer clear of and stuff like that. I also brought up the backpack she had with her and she explained two of her friends, the Weasley twins, loved to prank people and that she helps them out sometimes and that she buys the stuff before school starts because her family are a lot better off than the Weasley’s are, but to be honest I think every other family in the wizarding world is a lot better off than the Weasley’s. While we were in the middle of planning a prank on professor Quirrell, the defence against the dark arts teacher who’s afraid of his own shadow and everything else in the world, when a young brown haired girl with wild bushy hair who had already changed into her Hogwarts robes appeared in the doorway of the compartment

“Has anybody seen a toad? A boy called Neville’s lost one” She spoke in the most articulate voice I have ever heard come out the mouth of a girl her age.

                “No, sorry try the next compartment” Claire said in a polite manner, she really is the nicest person I have met so far and will probably ever meet in this school. After the girl had disappeared Claire suggested we changed into our robes ourselves, Claire returned in her Slytherin robes and Mel returned in her normal Hogwarts robes and I set off to change into mine. Along the way to the bathroom I bumped into a blonde boy with his hair gelled to the back of his head, he looked like a posh snob with too much money for his own good.

                “Excuse me” I said. I got ignored.

                “Excuse me” I got ignored again

                “Excuse me” ok now I’m getting pissed off

                “Move out of my fucking way before I cut you into pieces and feed you to my dog!” I yelled at him. This time he turned around. He was extremely cute, but I would never admit that to anyone, he had grey/blue eyes that would make your heart melt and if it wasn’t for his terrible hair I would have apologised to him.

                “What did you just say to me?” he sounded pissed, oops. That wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had…

                “I told you to move out of my fucking way”

                “I know what you said I’m not deaf”

                “Really? Are you sure? Because to me it sounded like you asked me to repeat myself now if you don’t mind I have to go and change, so move.” What has got into me to me today? I normally don’t like any sort of confutations ever! 

I changed into my robes still shocked to my core at what I have just said; Mel and Claire noticed the shocked expression on my face.

                “Are you ok? You look terrified…”

                “I think I just signed my death warrant” I replied bluntly. I really hate confutations.


	2. The Sorting

As we pulled into Hogsmeade Station it was already dark and I could see a largest castle I have ever seen, tall towers with more towers coming off them, I have seen images of Hogwarts in books before but I never imagined it would be this big.

                “First years this way, come on, this way” a gruff voice broke my thoughts and brought me back to reality. I turned around to see where the voice came from. An extremely tall man, and when I say tall I mean inhumanly I mean he must be at least 8 ft. tall, stood by a boy with ginger hair and a boy with black hair and glasses. Mel grabbed my hand and weaved her way through a sea of black robes to get to the tall man, leaving Claire behind to join her friend. He kept on shouting for first years but he was getting no were as nobody else came.

                “Righ’, think tha’s everyone” he boomed over the crowd. “Follow me, come on this way.”

As we climbed onto small boats and as soon as the last child, a chubby boy with large ears and big teeth, climbed into the boat they took off at a slow pace across the black sea. When we got to the other side of the lake we climbed up cobblestone stairs up to the enchanting castle. As we got to the top of the stairs we approached a rather large oak door and the man, Hagrid, knocked slightly on the door it was almost silent, suddenly a dark haired witch appeared from the door.

“OK, boys and girls in a few moments we will walk through these doors into the Great Hall and join the rest of the school. However before you can completely join the rest of the school you will be sorted into your houses, the houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. While you’re here at Hogwarts your houses will be like your family, your good efforts will be rewarded and you incidents will be punished and it will affect your whole house. At the end of each year there is a house cup and the house with the most points will win.” With that said she turned on her heels and walked through the oak doors again, only to return a moment later.

                “We’re ready for you know” I grabbed Mel’s hand to express my nervousness as we walked hand in hand through the Great hall.

                “When I call your name you will come up and sit on the stool and I will place the hat on your head. Ok, Hermione Granger.” The girl who had come into the compartment on the train looking for a toad stepped up to the stool. I couldn’t quite hear what the hat was saying.

                “Gryffindor!” a huge cheer erupted from the Gryffindor table in celebration of gaining another member of their house.

The sorting ceremony carried on and I didn’t pay attention to who else was called up until I saw a flash of blonde hair walk up to the stool

                “Slytherin!” the hat shouted before it was even fully on his head. Oh dear, my life is over, I befrenemied a Slytherin

                “Charlotte Smith!” oh no, it’s time… I gave Mel a hopeful look to see if there was another Charlotte Smith in the year. Nope, no one, great. I slowly walked up to the stool and sat down and the hat was placed on top of my head, it’s lighter than I expected, huh.

                “Oh what a promising future you have ahead of you. Mother and father both great wizards but of course you don’t want to follow in their footsteps do you? I know just what to do with you…” time seamed to slow down, thoughts rushing through my head, nerves building up… where will I be put… who will be my ‘family’ for the next 7 years… will I be with Mel… will I be with Claire…

                “SLYTHERIN” relief rushed though me at least I’ll be with Claire, I made a slow walk down to the Slytherin table and spotted Claire sitting with a girl with controlled curly, red hair flowing down just below her shoulder blades and green eyes. I’m not looking forward to telling my mum and dad that imp in Slytherin but I knew deep down this is where I belonged, I wasn’t brave I wasn’t smart and I wasn’t particularly nice either. But I am cunning and sly, I’ll admit that much.

                “Charlotte, this is Ashley.” Claire introduced me to her. Mel hasn’t been called up yet. Ashley yelled at some kids in her year I’m assuming to make room for me to sit between them. I was anxiously waiting for Mel to be called up.

                “Melony Black” it’s time… I hope she’s with us that would really be a pain in the ass id she wasn’t. After about a minute of deciding the hat opened its mouth and shouted

                “SLYTHERIN” me and Claire and Ashley stood up and cheered louder than the rest and for the second time this evening Ashley yelled at the same kids to move up to make room for our Mel.  After the last kid was called up and put in to Hufflepuff, the dark haired witch tapped her fork against her glass silencing everyone, Professor Dumbledore stood up with his hands in the air announcing her was about to talk

                “Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. Now before we begin our feast I would like to say a few words and they are Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Hehe let the feast begin!” and as if by magic the food appeared, oh wait… it is magic ha-ha. Across all four tables there was a wide range of food of all different kinds there were every kind of potato and meat and vegetables you could ever imagine was just sitting in front of me waiting to be eaten, and with that I began to eat, grabbing roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, gammon, chicken oh how I love me some chicken, peas, carrots, cauliflower and to top it all off a massive helping of gravy. I am in heaven. I love food. A lot.

                “Now I would like to make another notice, the third floor corridor is out of bounds to all of those who do not wish to die the most painful death. And with that said, enjoy your desert.” Dumbledore boomed over the noise of everyone meeting new people and making friends and for the second time today the tables filled with mountains of food, cakes, ice-cream, toffee, fudge, sherbet, all kinds of wizard sweats and muggle swears too. Ok now I am in heaven.

                “I trust you all enjoyed your feast, if the prefects could escort your houses up to your dorm rooms I would be most grateful. Good night everyone. Enjoy your evening” once again Dumbledore brought the whole hall to silence. That man never fails to get people’s attention.


	3. Mudbloods

I got a shiver down my spine as we walked down the stone stairs towards the dungeons where the Slytherin common room is situated.

                “She’s got some bloody nerve talking to me like that, filthy little mudblood, I’ll get her back boys just you wait and see ill make her regret the day she was born” I heard a rather familiar voice behind me.

                “I hope you’re not talking about me blondie!” I said in a bored manor, I turned on the heel of my foot to face him.

                “So what if I am. And its Draco Malfoy to you not ‘Blondie’ you filthy little mudblood.”  Is that really all he can think of, seriously!

                “Guess you’re not talking about me since I’m a pureblood” I replied with a smug look creeping up on my face. Claire and Mel have the same look on their faces too; guess I’m getting better at confrontations well at least when I’m not alone anyway.

                “Really? You don’t act like you come from a family of wizards.”

                “That’s because not all of us wizards and witches are convinced that only good wizards come from a long line of magical blood so if you want to fit in with the people here I suggest that you get of your high horse and move on with our life ok, you’re no better that anyone else in this building because let’s face it if you were you wouldn’t be stuck here with us in this school.” It’s safe to say I know a fair bit about the Malfoy family. An ancient bloodline of pureblood blonde snobs. He didn’t reply to my miniature rant so I turned on my heals and walked off in the same direction the rest of the house had walked in but I have no idea where I am going so I had to wait around the corner for Claire to catch up with Mel because she actually knows where she is going. I’d hate to be Malfoy right now because he hasn’t got an amazing friend who knows where they are going he just has two fat lumps with a single brain cell between them.

As we approached the Slytherin common room entrance, a curved bookcase with a statue of the Salazar Slytherin himself.

                “Pureblood” Claire whispered into the statues ear and took a step back. The statue moved to the side and revealed a door from behind where it was moments ago.

                “The passwords change every 2 weeks but the first one every year is always pureblood, it’s a horribly offensive but that’s just how it is around here. The passwords are here on the wall by the door on a piece of parchment-“ there was a piece of parchment stuck to the wall directly next to the exit of the common room “-so when you leave you check can double check that you know what password it is because of the amount of stupid people in this house. The boy’s dorms are on the right hand side of the stair case and the girls on the left but there is only a tiny wall separating them that was knocked down by some kids a few years ago but the teachers don’t know. When you go upstairs your names will be on a piece of parchment on the door along with your roommates” Claire acted as our own personal prefect since Malfoy made us miss the actual prefects explaining things to us. As we walked up the stairs we walked down the first corridor, as we got to the end I noticed my name on a piece of parchment and Mel’s name followed along with three other girl’s one called Tayla Brown, one called Millicent Bulstrode and the other called Pansy Parkinson. We said goodbye to Claire and let her go and find her room from last year that she shared with Ashley and two other girls but I can’t remember what their names were.

We settled into our room and unpacked waiting for our roommates to arrive and within two minutes or so three girls walked into the dorm, one with a brown bob, one who looked like one of Malfoys goons, the shorter one, in a wig and a pig like nose and the other with blonde curly hair that flows down to her back. The first girl and the very manly looking one both looked like a snobs and bitches whereas the other one looked like she had been placed in the wrong house she was so pretty but also quite intimidating.

                “He’s so cute don’t you think Tayla, he’s got such cute hair and nose and chin and oh… his lips oh god his lips.” The brown haired one was fantasising as soon as the door was shut me; she collapsed on the bed and sighed staring at the ceiling.

                “Pansy, he’s a rich snob with his head in the clouds, he thinks he’s better than everyone else you can see that just by looking at his walk. And presides, he doesn’t like you he barely knows you exist let alone like you. Oh and it’s the first day! Have you even spoken to him yet?” Tayla replied in an I-know-best-don’t-test-me sort of tone. To Pansy I’m guessing the other one must be Millicent. Millicent looked kind of out of place and she just went and sat on her bed closed her curtains and ignored the rest of us and probably will for the rest of the night and to be honest I don’t blame her Pansy’s unnaturally high voice was really starting to annoy me.

                “I’m just going to take a wild guess from your description, Tayla is it? And say you’re talking about Malfoy. Oh I’m Charlotte by the way and this is Mel.” I butted into their conversation before Pansy could fall into another trance.

                “How could you have ever guessed?” Taylor replied in a sarcastic tone and rolled her eyes at pansy that hasn’t even looked over at us, guess she’s fantasising over bloody Malfoy again. This is going to be so fun. Arggg I’m never going to escape this prat am I?

                “Well I am going to get a shower and go to bed. Night guys.” Mel said finally joining the conversation.

                “Night night, don’t let Malfoy bite.” I said and winked at her before grabbing my pj’s and my gorgeous wand (<http://www.polyvore.com/wand_wdily/set?id=152946522>) out of my trunk and started chanting and enchantment to but a screen around my bed so I can get changed without worrying about being judged, after I was changed I took down the screen and went to bed.

 

 

 


	4. Transfiguration

I woke up to a buzzing sound and somebody violently shaking me.

                “Get up. Get up come on your going to miss breakfast.” As soon as I heard the word breakfast I shot up to start getting ready for the day (<http://www.polyvore.com/first_day_lessons_wdily/set?id=153617753>). After getting showered and dressed I dried and styled my hair with my gorgeous wand, I love magic it’s such a time saver.

Racing down the cobblestone stairs, me and Mel rushed down to breakfast. We weren’t late or anything we just both love food.  When we got to the Great Hall there was a few house elves waiting to ask what we wanted to eat.

                “What would you like for breakfast mam’ anything you would like I will make for you mam’.” A small little elf with a high pitched squeaky voice asked me and Mel.

                “Can I have some pancakes, waffles, bagels with Nutella, a bowl of Coco Pops and a bacon butty with ketchup please?” A lot of people don’t know but Coco Pops are actually magic made as is Nutella, how do you think Coco Pops pop so well and Nutella tastes so good.

                “Can I have a bacon, sausage and egg butty on toast please, with some beans too if you can.” Mel asks for a lot less than me, I give her a look of confusion but she just shrugs me off, must just be the nerves of the first day. We walk arm in arm to the Slytherin table and plonk ourselves down next to Claire and Ashley who are eating their own breakfast that consists of a bowl of rice-crispies and Nutella on toast. Gotta love Hogwarts. I felt the bench dip besides me but I didn’t think anything of it whoever they are can’t be that bad and it is definitely not Malfoy because he would of muttered ‘mudblood’ or just wouldn’t have sat there at all.

                “Well look who it is, the mudblood and her mudblood friends.” Guess I spoke to soon when I said it wouldn’t be Malfoy.

                “Oh it’s you, don’t you have something better to do with your life other than sit around shouting incorrect insults at me Malfoy?” I turned around and give him a bored look then returned to talking with Mel, Claire and Ashley. POP. I turned around to see two house elves one of them was the elf who took our order of food and the other I didn’t recognise but he had Mel’s food on a tray, while the other was carrying mine.

                “Here you go mam’ enjoy.”

                “Thank you, what is your name?” I asked the one who ordered our food for us.

                “Lola mam’, they call me Lola” I smiled at her; I think she is going to be my favourite.

Professor Snape came up to us and gave us our timetables, today I have Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall first two lessons with Gryffindor’s, Potions with Professor Snape third lesson and forth lesson with Gryffindor’s, and Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor Quirrell fifth and sixth lesson also with Gryffindor’s. I checked with Mel to see what she has and she has the same lessons as me every day except when she has History of Magic I have Herbology and vice versa.

A bell sounded through the Great Hall signalling the start of lessons, me and Mel jumped up to make sure we’re not late for our first lesson.

                “Point Me” Mel whispered to her wand as she lay it flat in her hand and her wand started to move as if it was a compass.

                “It’s a spell my Grandmother taught me and Mel when we were little in case we ever got lost, the wand moves in the direction of where you want to go all you have to do is say ‘Point Me’ and think of where you would like to go. It’s a great time saver” we followed the wand up to the Transfiguration room and when we arrived nobody else was there except the woman who told us about the sorting ceremony on the very first day.

                “Are we in the right place Professor?” I asked the witch.

                “If you’re here for first year transfiguration then yes you are if not then I will gladly point you in the right direction.” Me and Mel took our seats in the middle not wanting to look too eager to learn some new things.

                “How did you manage to get here on time, nobody else seems to know where they are going” Professor McGonagall asked.

                “We used the Four-Point spell, Professor, my mother taught me and my sister the spell for in case we ever got lost.” Mel said in a shy manner this is the most unconfident I have ever seen her; I gave her a slight nudge to show she won’t harm us, she seems like a very mellow woman.

                “Very good, Miss Black, what a great use of your knowledge, 5 points to Slytherin,” we both beamed as she said this, even though I hadn’t had a clue what to do and if Mel didn’t know this spell we would both probably be lost with the rest of our class. A few students started to walk into the room and take their seats and when the class was almost full professor McGonagall started the lesson.

                “'Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned. Now I would like you to write the ordinary alphabet and underneath that I would like you to right the alphabet of transfiguration.” As I took out my quill, ink and parchment Professor McGonagall transformed herself into a cat and sat on her desk, watching over the class. I began to go over the alphabet I had learned from my mother, she was always naturally gifted at transfiguration but I never quite understood what she was trying to teach me but I had memorized the alphabet because anyone could memorize something and it made my mother slightly proud of me. I was beginning to right the transfiguration alphabet under the English one as two scruffy looking boys came bursting through the door, one had ginger hair and the other had black hair and glasses.

                “Phew could you imagine to look on old McGonagall’s face if we were late.” The Ginger one said to the black haired one, me and Mel gave each other a knowing look and both put three fingers up at the same time and counted down 3…2…1… We both looked up at McGonagall to see her transform into her human form again and stride towards the boys. The boys both look petrified.

                “Potter, Weasley, why are you both late? Do I need to transform one of you a pocket watch to make sure it doesn’t happen again” she asked the t- hang on a minute did, did she just say Potter? It can’t be Harry Potter can it? Oh great… one more self-obsessed prick I have to deal with.

                “We got lost, sorry” the dark haired one who I assume is Harry because Weasley’s are known for their bright red hair.

                “Then perhaps a map, I trust you don’t need one to find your seats.” Ok I have seriously started to like this teacher, her sarcasm is fabulous

                “Now class next lesson we will be turning match sticks into needles, it is very basic work but a few of the students who do not have the talent in the art that is transfiguration will find this difficult, I have to stress that anyone who is caught poking the needles, if they are successfully made, will be on detention with me and house points will be taken, is that clear” she directed the last part at Malfoy, she really is my favourite teacher so far.


	5. Potions

Next lesson is Potions; I’ve been waiting for this since I got on the train. I don’t see why everybody is terrified of Snape, well I do I mean he is rather intimidating and everything but he’s not that bad I know that under that hard exterior there is a softie waiting to be released and I am determined to make this happen whether it takes me a day or the rest of my life!

                “Hey Ashley, I was just wondering, is Snape nice??” I asked Ashley at break.

                “I think so but he doesn’t like people trying to get close to him if he doesn’t like them but unlike everyone says he does have favourites that he treats a lot better than everyone else and the majority are in Slytherin, but there’s the occasional one from another house.” I think I should stop obsessing over getting close to Snape before someone thinks I have a crush on the greasy haired toad!

The bell sounded signalling the end of break, I tapped Mel on the arm asking her if she is ready to go she jumped up and took out her wand.

                “Point me” the wand sprang into action and lead us down to the dungeons. When we passed down a corridor that looked very familiar I realised the wand is taking us to the common room.

                “What’s it doing?” I asked Mel

                “It’s taking us to the common rooms to get our cauldrons from our dorm; we need them for the lesson, silly. Pureblood. We need to hurry up or Snape will have our heads on a spike faster than you can say ‘unicorn horn’” I laughed as we raced up stairs to grab our cauldrons, I knew that was the only ingredient she could remember. Mel’s wand was still acting like a compass so we followed it until we came outside a dark door, we walked inside and took our seats at the work benches. Inside the room was filled with shelves and shelves of random animals and ingredients stored in glass jars, there was a cloth hanging over a door in the corner of the room, the room was dark and cold and the ceiling has burn marks over almost all of the fire rings on the left hand side of the individual work benches and the work tables had a pot of potion tools at the right hand side of them with a cutting board in the centre, the room was surprisingly neat everything had a place and everything was in its place. There isn’t many people in here only me, Mel, Malfoy and his goons and the girl from the train looking for the toad, everyone else must be late or lost and I’m guessing both because Snape looks pissed, well more pissed than normal anyway.

                “Does anybody know… about the rest of your class mate’s whereabouts?” Snape asked in his usual monotone voice.

                “I think they might be lost Professor.” Malfoy answered him with a slight hint of amusement in his voice

                “I will be back in a moment, do… not touch… anything, or I I’ll give you an hour long detention on Friday night.” He left the room in a hurry. About a minute or so after he left more people started to fill into the class and take their seats

                “So, mudblood, I hear you are already sleeping with someone, is this true I must say you move quickly, I’m impressed.”

“Malfoy, have you heard what you have just said? You sound so purvey, we are 12 for god sakes, and of course I’m not sleeping with anyone you arrogant toad. Oh and how many times! I’m a pureblood you imbecilic prick, stop calling me mudblood!”

“there will be no foolish wand waving or silly incantations in this class, as such I don’t expect all of you to appreciate the exact art that is potion making, however for those select few” he looked at Malfoy an me for a brief second as he said this, maybe he knows of my potions work already.

“Who possess … the predisposition… I can teach you how to be witch the mind and ensnare the senses I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory and even put a stopper in death. Then again maybe some of you have come to Hogwarts in possession of abilities so formidable that you feel confident enough to not. Pay. Attention” Snape was now looking at Harry Potter who was busy writing notes on a piece of parchment, he didn’t even notice that Snape had stopped talking to the class and was now addressing the speech directly at him the girl off the train, I think someone called her Hermione, had to elbow him to make him stop writing.

“Mr Potter, our new celebrity, tell me what would I get if I added powdered root of asidel to an infusion of wormwood” Hermione’s hand shot up, guess she’s going to be this schools top swat then isn’t she, why isn’t she in Ravenclaw then?

“You don’t know?” harry shook his head.

“Well let’s try again, where, Mr Potter, would you look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?” Hermione’s hand shot up again and Harry shook his head for the second time

“I don’t know, sir” he said with a mix of disappointment, embarrassment and hatred in his voice.

“What is the difference between monkshood and Wolfs-Bain?” Harmonies hand was still in the air, why is she not aware of how stupid she looks.

“I don’t know sir” Harry said again with even more disappointment and embarrassment laced in his voice more than before.

“Pity, clearly fame isn’t everything, is it Mr Potter?”

“Clearly Hermione knows, seams a pity not to ask her.” Damnnnnn so much sass. I may not particularly like him but damn that burn might need an icepack. The class, except me and Mel, laughed.

“Silence.” Snape and Professor McGonagall seem to have the same ability to shut up a class without even trying. There was a long pause and the tension seamed to build up

“Put you hand down you silly girl.” Hermione’s hand went down almost as fast as it went up. This time Snape took long strides across the classroom to stand in front of Harry’s workbench, he pulled out a chair and sat opposite him.

“For your information, Potter, asidel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so strong it is known as ‘the draught of the living dead’, a bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons, as for monkshood and wolfs-bane they are the same plant which also goes by the name of acumen. Well… why aren’t you all copying this down? And Gryffindor’s note that 5 points will be taken from your house for your class mate’s cheek.” Malfoy and his goons where laughing as they started to write down what Snape has just said but I just sat back and waited for our next instruction, I wrote this down while he was talking.

                “Now I hope you all realise that due to some peoples inexperience with potions means that we will not be making a potion today, this lesson there will be a test to see how many of you are capable of brewing a potion, successfully or not, without singeing off your eyebrows then we will see how long it will be until we make a potion.” Easy, I can do this. Snape started handing out test papers.

                “You have an hour… Go”

Fifteen minutes later I stood up and handed in my test paper. Hermione’s eyes widened and she started scribbling faster. Snape started to mark my paper as I walked back to my seat with a little spring in my step. A ghost smile appeared on Snape’s face as he walked towards me with my paper

                “Full marks, Miss Smith, well done. Perhaps there is some hope in this year group.” And with that he walked back to his desk, took out his quill and said

                “10 points to Slytherin, top marks well done.” He looked at me and the ghost smile reappeared.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 10 points to Slytherin and 10 points from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw if you read this is Snape’s voice.


	6. Herbology and Mistakes

After Potions was lunch, without my usual constant supply of snacks I’m starving. When the bell went I had already packed up my equipment used because I had finished 20 minutes before the end of the lesson, Mel finished 15 minutes before the end of the lesson so Snape asked us to pack up and help to organise his store cupboard.

When we got down to lunch, the tables were full of Sandwiches, pizzas, all kinds of pastas, salad, crackers, cakes, cookies, chocolate bars, fruit bowls and pasties. I grabbed a few sandwiches and a couple of pasties and multiple biscuits and snacks. I grabbed a few napkins and wrapped some of my biscuits inside them, I then placed them in my skirt pocket ready for me to eat in class later, ill grab some more at dinner for in case I get hungry, which I usually do, after curfew.

                “What do you guys have next?” asked Ashley

                “Double Herbology, what about you guys?”

                “Double potions, Snap absolutely hate’s me it’s not fair I can’t wait till I can drop it.” My red headed friend was stressing over going back to the class I love.

                “I have a feeling he likes us, me and Mel finished first and both got all of them right. I finished with half the time we had set left and Mel 5 minutes behind me.” The proudness and self-praise wouldn’t disappear out of my voice no matter how hard I tried.

                “Well of course he’s going to like you and Mel, Mel and Claire have literally grown up around him! He’s their god father for goodness sake and let’s face it, Charlotte you aced a test on the first day with loads of time to spare whereas me, I took the same test and was only halfway through when he asked for them back! But to make everything worse I haven’t messed up on a potion yet but he still hates me!”

                “Don’t be ridiculous Ash! How can he hate someone in his own house?” Ashley’s paranoia was showing really badly now and it was starting to piss me off a tad.

We started to move down to the green houses, the way there was uneventful me and Mel just chatted about Ashley and how she gets paranoid a lot. Apparently Ashley was abused by her father when she was a child which, understandably, left her with paranoia and anxiety she father would shout abuse at her saying her red hair makes her look like a gorilla, stuff like that. No wonder she doesn’t like getting close to new people, poor girl. We were walking down the stone path when I remembered I left my herb book in the common room.

                “Shoot! I left my book in the common room. You run ahead and tell miss I might be a tad late and I’ll catch up as quickly as I can.” Not even waiting for her reply I left Mel behind and ran to the dungeons. I accidently ran into someone…

                “Oh my god I am so sorry.” The person’s books were on the floor, I didn’t bother looking at who it was I just helped them to pick up their books.

                “Its ok but watch who you’re running into next time yeah?” hang on a minute I recognise that voice. I looked up to find the one person I least expected to see, Malfoy. He was smirking at me and staring at me… What??

                “What? No mudblood today?” I asked the sass in my voice was venomous.

                “Oh yeah err… I kinda looked up your history of parentage, your mothers a mudblo- I mean muggle born but your father comes from a long line of wizard blood, I guess I need a new insult for you huh.” Wait. What? My mother’s a pureblood!? Oh well I wasn’t going to stand here and talk to him any longer than I need to its already creepy enough that he looked at my family history let alone that he hasn’t stopped looking at me since I ran into him.

                “Yeah… well I’m going to go. Bye” and I ran off to get my book before Professor Sprout gives me a late detention.

As quick as I could I grabbed my book and ran back outside to the greenhouses. When I got there Professor Sprout was just leading the class into the first green house, the class spread out along a large wooden bench as Professor Sprout stood waiting to begin the class

                “Ok class I am Professor Sprout and today we will be learning about Spiky Bush, we will be learning how to identify them and ways to destroy them. There is no known use of them so they are not important but they are a huge pest when you’re trying to maintain a healthy weed free garden-’’

“- So basically we’re learning how to do servants work then-” a voice whispered behind me, and I know that voice far too well considering we have been on the grounds for two days.

                “- I would like you to place your wands on the work stations in front of you to make sure we are not going to have any injuries as I am sure Madame Pomfrey would not like to spend the first day back treating burns and growing back eyebrows.” And that is why I already love this school better than being at home! I’m guessing that she is going to teach us the fire making spell that my father has managed to learn to do silently so that there would be no chance at all for me to learn that spell and accidently set the house on fire… My father definitely thinks I’m a lunatic there’s no doubt about that.

                “Ok class, repeat after me, _Incendio._ ”

There was a chorus of incendio’s from all over the room.

                “Very good, now everyone grab your wands and follow me” as Professor Sprout lead the class out of the greenhouse to by the patch of land reserved for teaching first years how to fly, I took this opportunity to tell Mel about mine and Malfoys brief encounter.

                “He likes you.” Mel said with a smirk.

                “Really, that’s all you can say to me not maybe he’s sick or maybe he accidentally got sat on by Crabbe or Goyle and his brain isn’t functioning properly or even he might be joking since he got the fact that my mother is a pureblood not a muggle-born, not even a smart remark nothing just he likes you… Really Mel I expected more of you… I’m hurt I’m truly wounded.” Ok, one other thing you should know about me… I tend to get dramatic over things that aren’t really a big deal. Mel’s smirk grew bigger after my Crabbe and Goyle remark but hey it’s a big possibility

                “Ok chill no need for the dramatics, it’s just the first thing that comes to mind when you hear a story like that. Look we’ll have a proper talk about it after class ok” and as soon as she said that Professor Sprout came to a stop and turned around to address then class.

                “Right, down this hill are some spiky bush plants that have been wrecking the nearby vegetation over summer, I want you to use the Incendio incantation to destroy them. Now I have to warn you that the spikes will not be destroyed by the flames instead they will explode out of the bush. I must suggest that you stand back away from the bushes and only after the last one has been destroyed may you go and collect the spikes from the grass and put them in this bag.” Sprout placed a brown bag on the ground as everyone started to line up along the top of a hill. Most chose to stand further back than others, mainly muggle-borns, and few chose to stand at the top of the hill. These few where Me, Mel, Tayla, Pansy, Malfoy and a boy I don’t know the name of.

                “ _Incendio_ ” I took out my wand I was the first one to start as everyone else was a bit heist to go first. After my plant had burst into flames other people started to follow suit, soon all of the plants had burst into flames and died down.

                “Ok it is safe to go and collect the spikes now” me and Mel slowly walked down the hill and collected about 10 spikes each. After the lesson ended me and Mel split off from Tayla who was going to the library and made our way down to the common room before dinner, I don’t really feel like talking about the Malfoy incident right now, we entered our dorm room and plonked ourselves down on bed. After a while of talking to Mel and decorating our side of the room with our masses of posters, we combined them and just completely covered the wall both of out beds are positioned on and by the time we got the last poster on the wall the bell rang and signalled us to go to dinner. When we got down to the main hall and sat down next to a girl, who I recognised from classes today, talking to Tayla.  
                “Hi guys this is Haleigh, she’s in Ravenclaw, she’s my best friend and has been since we were two years old, Haleigh this is Mel and Charlotte they are my roommates along with pug-face and Crabbette.” Tayla did introductions and pointed at us as she said our names. Haleigh is your typical ‘emo’ girl brown hair with purple dip dye, eyeliner, arms full of bracelets and band bands, I can see a band top peeking out from under her robes, she’s got a nose piercing, multiple ear piercings and she’s wearing black boots with studs. From her exterior look you wouldn’t think she is twelve and the look really suits her.

                “Hi” I and Mel both said together, I looked at Mel and she did the same we just looked at each other for about 5 seconds then burst out laughing. I’m really happy that I made a friend this early into the year that I can say I think will truly be friends with for a the rest of our lives.


	7. Mystery Letters

It’s been about two weeks at Hogwarts now and they have been pretty much uneventful. Me, Mel, Tayla and Haleigh just sat and talked a lot, Haleigh is actually really nice despite her harsh and intimidating exterior, and we have made sure we sit next to each other in all our lessons since we are in all the same lessons together until third year, Pansy is still moping after Malfoy she has somehow managed to get into his group of friends, Harry Potter is still the talk of the school which is ridiculous he’s not that much of a big deal I mean come on you defeat the darkest wizard for centuries unintentionally before you can even walk, what makes him so great.

Anyway rant over. The 6 of us were sat around the Slytherin table enjoying our breakfast when the owls arrived with our post. Heidi, my hawk owl, landed on my shoulder and waited for me to take my mail from her; I swear she is the best behaved owl I know she has never bitten anyone before. To reward Heidi for her good behaviour I gave her a piece of toast which is her favourite, she gave me a thankful light head butt on the side of my head and flew off again to the owlery. I looked down at the three letters and a parcel resting in my hands, one letter was from my mum, another from my gran and the third I don’t know who it is off I don’t recognise the handwriting on the front of the envelope it says

‘Open privately’

            “Who’s that from?” I hadn’t noticed Mel was looking over my shoulder at the letter in front of me

                “No idea” a puzzled look was lingering on my face.

                “I’m going to go and open it.” I could tell Mel wanted me to open it in front of her but I don’t really want her to read it before I do and because I don’t know what it is I don’t know whether she needs to know about it or not as harsh as that sounds. My hands trembled as I broke the seal and read the letter.

            ‘Dear Charlotte,

It’s taken a lot of courage to write you this letter but I need to talk to you about something meet me in the astronomy tower at curfew tonight, please be alone I know that it might sound dodgy me asking to see you alone since but I need you to trust me.

I’m not going to tell you who I am because I fear you won’t turn up if I do.

Hope to see you tonight.’

Well that’s odd, who could it be… I would ask Mel but I know who she will think it is she’s convinced Malfoy likes me, I don’t even know if they are a girl or a boy let alone who it is. I guess I’m going to the astronomy tower tonight then.

I didn’t go back to dinner after I read the letter I just went up to my room and had an internal debate on who it could be. I sat curling my hair with my wand and Mel walked in the room.

                “What did the letter say?” I passed her the letter and sighed and waited for her to say the one name I dreaded her to say

                “I have no idea who it could be. How can you even assume tha- wait you’re not saying it is Malfoy, I thought you jump to that conclusion.”

                “I was going to, but then I thought it seems un-Draco-like so I didn’t. Just go tonight and find out”

                “But… What if I end up regretting it… what if it’s all just a trick” I gave her a pleading look trying to convince her to refuse that I go and lock me in the dorm until the next day, I kept waiting but she didn’t say she looked like she was having an internal debate with herself so I guess she cares about me getting humiliated.

                “Just go, I’ll go with you if you want me too and then I’ll wait around the corner and if it all goes to shit then I’ll come and bombarda the bitches ok, you’ll be fine stop worrying”

                “Fine but promise me if all goes well you’ll be gone and don’t let your nosiness get the best of you please.”

                “FINE I won’t be nosey”

                “Good” and with that said I went and got a shower, dried my hair with my wand, platted the front parts of my hair and clipped them at the back and got changed into this (<http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=156539437>) and left the bathroom. When I stepped into the dorm I noticed Mel had got changed into a band top and skinny jeans.

                “We’ve got about an hour till curfew what do you want to do?” well I want to control my nerves a bit and there is only one way I know to do that… playing guitar

                “Can you play guitar?” I’ve never seen Mel smile so wide in the short time I’ve known her.

“Oh yes, I play” and she took out her green and black guitar it took all of 2 seconds for it to sink in, she has Tony Perry’s guitar well maybe not his actual guitar but it looks the spit image of it. It filled me with relief and pride when I took out my black and red guitar it hasn’t always belonged to me though, my mum and dad were stuck for Christmas ideas so I told them about this guitar I wanted but could never get because it belonged to the one and only Pete Wentz so I asked for any guitar and when I opened my present that Christmas I expected a bog standard guitar but I got this beauty and to this day I still don’t know how they managed to get it they never told me but I have never had a better present than this one (<http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=156543874>).

                “HOW DID YOU GET THAT? OMG IS IT REAL? IS IT REALLY HIS? I THINK SO!” Me and Mel both shouted at each other and then burst out laughing.

                “So when did you get it?” I asked Mel she told me that her mother and father left money in Gringotts when they died and she saw it going for sale on a private auction and her and Claire got there money transferred it all into muggle money and went to the auction, she told me Claire has the same one but the other way around so where Mel’s is green Claire’s is black and where Mel’s is black Claire’s is green, I had seen Jamie playing them at a pierce the veil concert I went to she also told me she got to spend time with the band once they has bought them and they went and spent the day in the tour bus with them and had a blast, she’s also really good friends with Vic and that’s why she has her laptop with her, so she can talk to Vic since he’s a muggle and all.

I then told her how I got mine and she’s convinced my mum seduced her way into getting it, I personally  think she just used a spell to erase the memory of her and made him think he gave it to a family member because the thought of my mother seducing anyone makes me cringe and want to throw up

                “Let’s go and find Claire and we can play together there’s got to be a song we all know right haha!” to say I was excited would be the understatement of the century because of how quickly managed to fit in and make friends with the two of them.

Once we collected Claire, who was doing homework in the common room but she looked relieved to be taken away from it to blow off some steam, we went back up to the dorm and, luckily, Pansy and Millicent weren’t in the room neither was Tayla but I could of dealt with her being in the room I feel comfortable around her enough to play and possibly sing in front of her.

                “Do you both know ‘I swear this time I mean it’ by Mayday Parade?” I asked praying they did I love that song so much.

                “Of course we do that was one of the first songs we learnt”

                “Great, who wants to sing?”

                “I don’t sing but Claire can sing but she doesn’t like singing a lot it’s a hidden talent of her, do you sing?”

“Do but not very well but it’s better than nothing I guess right?”

“Let’s do it 1…2…3…”

(<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_N5ePK7LGc>)

It didn’t take long for me to get relaxed as the 14 second wait went on I got deeper and deeper into the music I relaxed further and further and started singing…

                “Oh Florida, please be still tonight, don’t disturb this love of mine, Look how she's so serene, you’ve gotta help me out,

And count the stars to form in lines, and find the words we'll sing in time, I want to keep her dreaming, it’s my one wish, I won't forget this.” I drift further and further into the song relaxing and forgetting the worries of meeting the mystery guy.

“I'm outdated, overrated, Morning seems so far way, So I'll sing a melody, And hope to God she's listening, Sleeping softly while I sing, And I'll be your memories, Your lullaby for all the times, Hoping that my voice could get it right.” Forgetting my past, I shut my eyes and me and the music became one

“If luck is on my side tonight, My clumsy tongue will make it right, And wrists that touch, It isn't much, but it's enough, To form imaginary lines, Forget your scars, we'll forget mine, The hours change so fast, Oh God, please make this last.

'Cause I'm outdated, overrated, Morning seems so far way.” Forgetting who I was for a brief moment and relaxing.

“So I'll sing a melody, And hope to God she's listening, Sleeping softly while I sing, And I'll be your memories, Your lullaby for all the times, Hoping that my voice could get it right, Could get it right.

You could crush me, Please don't crush me, 'Cause baby I'm a dreamer for sure, And I won't let you down, I swear this time I mean it, And I'll sing a melody, And hope to God she's listening, Sleeping softly while I sing, And I'll be your memories, Your lullaby for all the times, Hoping that my voice could get it right.” I opened my eyes and looked up at my friends they both look awestruck they had tears lingering in their eyes threatening to escape.

                “Was that ok?” I asked hoping they weren’t about to burst out laughing because I was terrible, hoping the tears in their eyes weren’t because I killed an amazing song.

                “That was beautiful you have such an amazing voice. Where did you learn to sing like that?” Claire said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. I looked at Mel she was froze with a look of unmistakeable admiration. I blushed under their looks, but something felt odd like there was another person in the room. I looked towards the door and saw Malfoy’s friend I recognise from our first Herbology lesson.

                “Who was that singing?” He asked surprise laced his voice

                “Err it was me” I said blushing trying to hide my face so he wouldn’t see my bright red cheeks

                “Well your very good at singing and all of you really know how to play guitar you’ve got good potential. I’m Blaise, Blaise Zabini” he stuck his hand out and gave me a smile that could make anyone’s knees weak.

                “Charlotte Smith, this is Mel and Claire Black” I pointed at them as I said their names.

                “Nice to meet you guys, can I hear you play another song please”

                “Yeah, wait what time is it?” I can’t miss finding out who this

                “Ten to eight, why?”

                “No reason just wondering, what else do you guys know?” I asked them not knowing whether or not there is anything else we all know.

                “Do you know Lived a Lie by You Me at Six, we can do the acoustic version since we have no drums?” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFmsjPFK15k)

                “Perfect” the smile on my face came back again as I lost my self in the music for the second time today.

                “Well somebody told me, that I would be a dreamer for life, somebody told me I would never reach the other side” Blaise started tapping on the bed to give us a bit of rhythm and back us up

“Well you say I'm old news, but cross your fingers, I’m yours to lose, What if I told you, that things will never improve

And if I lived a lie, Would someone meet me on the other side, So I can burn up bright, (so I can burn, so I can burn)” Mel and Claire both joined in at the backing part and then carried on singing ‘so I can burn’ over and over again

“The grass is always greener, someone else's past is always cleaner, but I'm a believer, that there's a fool in all of us

And if I lived a lie, would someone meet me on the other side, so I can burn up bright

Oh, I don't really know where our ghosts go, No, I don't really know where our ghosts go, so live a lie just tonight, tonight

We are believers {7}, we are, we are

If I lived a lie, would someone meet me on the other side, so I can burn up bright

And if I lived a lie, would someone meet me on the other side, so I can burn up bright

Oh, I don't really know where our ghosts go, No, I don't really know where our ghosts go, So live a lie just tonight, tonight, And burn up bright.” When I finished we all took a breath and realised we don’t suck.

                “We could make a band if we found a drummer you know” Mel finally said something and broke the comfortable satisfied silence.

                “I don’t drum but I know somebody who does, he’s called Patrick he’s in my year, he’s constantly playing in his dorm, it got so bad we had to sound proof his room but he never noticed so keep that one to yourself I could ask him if he wants to start a band.” We could do this we could generally make a band! This could be amazing

                “Let’s do it you go ask him me and Mel have to run somewhere quick but we shouldn’t be long, it was great meeting you Blaise I’ll see you later and we can talk a bit if you want” I blushed a tad, what can I say he’s quite attractive.

                “Yeah sure see you later” He stood up and left but before he did reached the door he winked at me or at least I think he did I’m not 100% sure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Sorry it was a bit of a filler chapter but in the long term it will be quite important. Who do you think the letter will be from? Blaise? Draco? Maybe even Harry? Comment your thoughts and I’m always open to suggestions.


	8. The Astronomy Tower

Me and Mel walked out through the common room door and walked up 7 flights of stairs to the astronomy tower then another flight of stairs to the top. When we got to the astronomy tower I saw a boy leaning on the railings I couldn’t see his face but I knew who it was, Malfoy. Me and Mel went around the corner so he couldn’t hear movement and had a silent conversation using facial expressions and hand gestures, debating whether or not I should go and talk to him but I eventually went inside to talk to him and Mel agreed, after a few minutes of convincing her, to wait five minutes and if I don’t end up trying to kill him she can go and I’ll tell her all about it in the morning.

“Malfoy?” I asked trying to hide the fact that Mel had to convince me to talk to him.  
“Hey… I was beginning to think you wouldn’t turn up” he said in a small voice that sounded very un-Malfoy-like way, he gave me a small smile and turned to face me as I spoke.  
“It’s kinda hard to disagree with Mel when she makes up her mind, so what’s up?” curiosity is starting to get the better of me.  
“Multiple reasons to be honest but first I wanted to apologise for calling you a mudblood all the time, I think you’re a really cool person and you can really sing and I really want to be friends with you and get to know you. But obviously id understand if you don’t want to and if you hate me that’s cool but I really hope you don’t” he looked scared… really scared as he said this almost like I was going to laugh in his face, walk off and tell all his friends about it! I may be mean but I’m not that mean, it takes me a while for it to sink in so much so he looks like he’s going to explode in this silence, he keeps fidgeting and squirm on his spot.  
“Where’s this all coming from? I’m glad I won’t have to kill you, I’d rather focus on destroying Pansy’s pathetic little life to be fair, and I’d like to get to know you too and I’m sure we can arrange being friends haha” ok, I may or may not be trying to get close to him to find out why he looked up my family history and lied about my mother’s history.  
“I just feel like you’re someone worth getting to know” I blushed slightly at his words and my attempt to hide it with my hair but failed miserably. We sat on the ground and talked for what seemed like an hour about anything and everything, time seamed to just fade away from us as we just got to know each other like we should have done before I threatened to feed him to the dog I don’t actually have.  
I walked over to the rusty metal railings and looked down on the grounds of Hogwarts. Awe-struck I took a sharp breath as I looked across the lake. The way the sunset was reflected off the lake, the birds slowly flying into trees to find the their nests, the rabbits and hares hopping back into their burrows and the foxes, creeping with natural stealth and soft paws making no sounds at all, awaking for a nights filled with hunting; it was all just so beautiful and magical. I stared at its beauty for a while before walking around the whole tower and seeing the whole of Hogwarts. The Forbidden Forest has never looked more alive, green, yellow and red eyes occasionally popped out in a variety of place. It was strange but beautiful, one side of the lake most animals were settling down for the night but the other half were just awakening from a deep slumber. The slight September breeze brushed against my skin, the birds sung their last song of the day, the smell of fresh air was delightful after being in the castle all day, what little sunlight left lit the world with a rainbow of purple, pink and orange lingering on top of the tree tops, as I stared out across the lake, back where I began. I was starting to taste the sweat nectar of the earth just by looking at the scenery.  
“We should head back its getting dark and its already past curfew we will get murdered if were caught out of bed” I said once I was done soaking in the glory of the Hogwarts grounds.  
“Yeah probably the best idea” Malfoy said “hey I was wondering, what’s your actual name? I never found out. I was hoping that by calling you what I did, you would correct me but you never told me your name.” he looks slightly curious as he said this.  
“Charlotte, I’m Charlotte Smith” I said with a smile. He seems quite genuine about being friends with me but i wasn’t going to jump straight into a proper friendship just yet, and he definitely won’t be braiding my hair any time soon.  
When we got back to the statue I whispered this fortnights password ‘Potions’ into his ear and he swung open, leading me and Malfoy into the common room, which was empty, and sat down on the couch looking into the orange and red flames dancing among the coals in the fireplace. I’ve always loved fires, even though they are closely associated with pain, death and destruction, I’ve always thought they were relaxing and misunderstood.  
I was suddenly alerted awake by someone vigorously shaking my shoulders and someone poking my face. I opened my eyes to be blinded by a bright light and a rather large face not even an inch away from my own. I realised Mel was straddling my side and violently shaking my shoulders and Claire was violently poking my face. I looked to the side of me and realised I had fell asleep in the common room. Mel sat up so her back was straight but she was still sat on my hip, and spoke seriously  
“You have 20 minutes left of breakfast and you’re still in last night’s clothes” A sick twisted grin appeared on her face as threw herself forward into her previous position of being an inch away from my face and whispered “Run”


	9. The Cure For Boils

I rushed up the stairs already beginning to take off my jacket as I ran, as I got into the dorm I grabbed my robes did a 180 turn around my bed post and ran straight back to the common room, along the way I quickly used my wand to sort out my hair. When I got there Mel and Claire were still waiting for me but I noticed someone else was waiting too.

“Why are you here? I thought you would have been at breakfast ages ago?” I asked the platinum blonde haired boy in front of me.  
“I’ve been here the WHOLE time.” The colour drained from my face for all of 3 seconds before it all came flooding back making my look like a human tomato.  
“Y…yo… you have?... I didn’t see you… I just really like food ok” I went even redder than I thought was possible. I automatically checked that my hair was covering my ears because the go redder than my face and it’s quite embarrassing so they go redder and so on.  
“I can tell, but it’s a good thing haha trust me” and before I could get anymore embarrassed I ran to the great hall, but that probably just made the whole thing worse.  
When I got down to breakfast I grabbed toast off the long rows and smothered it with Nutella and ate as fast as I possibly could before going to my History of Magic lesson to learn more about the soap blizzard of 1378, which sounds cool but it’s really not. By the time I had ate 3 Nutella covered slices of toast Mel, Claire, Draco, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle had made their way down to the great hall, still smirking over my need for food well Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise were clueless as they weren’t there when it happened but Draco was enjoying it a bit too much. Draco grabbed a green apple from a fruit bowl in the centre of the table, I grabbed a large red apple and stood up ready to make my way to our next lesson.  
“Come on if we’re late to History of Magic again Binns will give us a detention and I see more than enough of his blue body as it is. See you at lunch Claire.” We all made our way down to one of the only classes all six of us shared together. We made our way to the very back table where we sat at the back of the room and declared these seats as our now regular seats Blaise at one end of the large desk then Mel, Me, Draco, Goyle then Crabbe at the other end of the table.  
“Good Morning class, today we will be continuing our studies of the 1378 Soap Blizzard and the economic crash that followed, please take out your parchment and quills and make notes on the…”  
“Argg he’s so borrrriiiiinnngggggg, I swear the quicker I can drop this lesson the better” I whispered to the table, we completely blocked out the lesson that was going on around us and just talked for the whole of the lesson about absolutely nothing and if I’m honest Draco is actually quite funny and todays lesson didn’t completely suck. Mel and Blaise started to flirt a bit throughout the lesson and I think I see a potential relationship there if I’m honest. Crabbe and Goyle half joined in mine and Draco’s conversation but for most of the lesson they were just sat there looking braindead, which I think they aren’t far off becoming. I didn’t even realise that class had just ended until Crabbe nudged Draco making us look up just before professor Binns dismissed the class.  
My next class was potions with Draco, Mel and Blaise. We sat at the front desk just the four of us and Blaise went and collected all of our cauldrons from the first year store cupboard, apparently Snape doesn’t trust us enough to remember our cauldrons every lesson and that we won’t try to make a potion in our dorm rooms and set the castle on fire. That man has really bad trust issues like seriously.  
Today we are making our first potion of the year after having to learn the basics like the different type of cauldron’s and vials and the ingredients, all for the benefit of the muggleborns. Today we are making the cure for boils, one of the easiest potions know to wizard-kind.  
“Listen up… as you all know… we… are making… the cure for boils potion… Now I do not… under any circumstances… want you to use this potion… you will bottle it in the… correct vial… and it will be stored on the shelves… under your caldrons. Collect your ingredients… you have the rest of this lesson to brew your potion… if anybody finishes… before the lesson ends… do not bottle your potion… tell me… I will inspect it… You may begin.” I stood up to get the ingredients for the table, I grabbed enough snake fangs for 6 potions because one of us will more than likely fuck up, two small bags of dried nettles, a bowl of horned slugs and a handful of porcupine quills. I was the first one to immerge from the store room, most people were still looking up the potion ingredients in the book. Those bloody muggleborns never know what the ingredients look like. Draco sat patiently waiting for me to return while Mel and Blaise were deep in conversation. I nudged Mel which resulted in her knocking into Blaise and they both looked rather pissed when they looked up. I smirked at them both and handed them half of the ingredients so they could make their potions while they talked. Grabbing my cauldron and resting on the heat grid inserted into the table, I made every effort I could to make sure Snape knows that I’m good at the practical side of potions as well as the theory side. The whole time I was setting up Draco was looking at me in awe but I pretended I didn’t notice this as I carried on. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 snake fangs into the mortar.  
“So Charlotte, you spent all of last lesson learning about me, now it’s my turn to get to know you. What’s your favourite colour?” Draco turned to me after copying my actions of adding six snake fangs to the mortar and crushing them into a ‘fine powder’.  
“Aqua-Marine it’s such a pretty colour.”  
“What’s your favourite food?”  
“Too much choose next question” a smile appeared on both of our faces after reliving this morning’s incident. I added 4 measures of the powder into my cauldron the turned on the heat and counted to ten before, turning off the heat and waving my wand, then looking back at Draco to continue our conversation.  
“Favourite band”  
“Too many to choose from”  
“Song.”  
“Too many”  
“Book”  
“Don’t really read much”  
“Best friend”  
“Don’t like to choose favourites”  
“Yeah I’ve noticed haha ok let’s play a game I say something like food and you say your least favourite thing”  
“Ok let’s play I have about 20 more minutes until I need to do anything to my potion. Go”  
“Food”  
“Onions”  
“Singer”  
“A muggle called Justin Bieber, he sounds worse than Pansy and that’s saying something”  
“HEY! I can hear you, you know!” oh great Pansy decided to join our conversation what fun.  
“I know I noticed you stopped powdering you snake fangs when we started talking, you should really find someone to talk to so you don’t have to listen into other peoples conversations. Just a tip” I smiled with my thumbs either side of my face, then lost my fake smile and turned to Draco, who was trying to hide his laughter behind his fist, and said “As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted” I glared at Pansy out of the corner of my eye. “Carry on”  
Twenty minutes passed quickly and it was time for me to add 4 horned slugs into my cauldron, take it off the heat, add 2 porcupine quills and stir the whole thing clockwise. And with a quick wave of the wand the potion is done. Empting the contents into an oval shaped vial with a thin neck, I walked over to Snape for him to mark.  
“Full marks… well done Miss Smith” he had his famous, well famous to me, ghostly smirk on his face “I always knew you would do well” I walked back to my work bench to clean my mess and wait until the end. Draco seems like he is quite good at potions, Mel is on my playing field and Blaise has fucked up at least once this lesson, how do I know? His potion is still a nice blue colour instead of blood red. By the end of the lesson all but 4 potions were still blue, mine, Mel, Draco and I think granger but I’m not sure, and let me tell you Snape was not pleased at the lack of red on his table but I’m sure he noticed that ¾ of the potions that were red were made by his fellow Slytherin’s.  
The day was rather boring after potions and lunch, which was delicious, we has Herbology where we learnt about Puffapods and how they are good for keeping giants away. But finally it was the end of the day and to be perfectly honest it could have come a bit sooner but I can’t complain now that I’m comfy on the common room couch. As I rested my head on Mel’s knee and she played with my hair Draco was sat on my feet and Blaise was sat on the arm of the couch closet to Mel and Claire was sat on the floor practicing guitar. Blaise and Mel were in deep conversation while I was talking to Draco about life in general and our futures and Claire she’s been stuck trying to write a song for the past hour or so she says when we asked her but to be honest I think there is something more going on inside that brain of hers but o know she wouldn’t say anything about it in front of Draco and Blaise so I’ll have to either wait until me and Mel are alone with her or I’ll get Mel to ask her later if it’s a family thing and given their past I’m 90% sure it will be. I sat up so I could talk better to Draco and because I felt like a mahoosive (yes that is massive and huge in one word one of my many made up words, proud moment) third wheel and I turned around to see that Mel and Blaise were getting realllllyyyyy close to each other now, Mel had moved up so Blaise could sit down and must have sat unnecessarily close to her, so I turned around not wanting to see anything I don’t want to see. Draco noticed what I had seen and awkwardly scratched the back of his head.  
“Do you want to come up to my dorm, just to talk I don’t want you to get the wrong idea I just thought it would be better than sitting here with them two and Crabbe and Goyle haven’t come back from dinner yet so we can talk more up there alone, fuck I’m not helping this situation am I I’m sor-“  
“- ok I think we should, don’t worry I know you wouldn’t intend on anything like that, chill.” I gave him a smile to say it’s on and he just went brighter red, which was funny because of his blonde hair so he just looked like a mouldy tomato.  
“SEE you in a bit I’ll be in the dorm later” I said down Mel’s ear after giving Claire a hug, she then said bye and walked up the stairs herself probably not wanting to be the third wheel, Mel gave me a confused look as she watched me walking toward the dorm stairs with Draco but then gave me a small wink before returning to her own conversation.  
We walked up the stairs the turning left to the boy’s dorms, down the first corridor to the very bottom and the door on the right.  
“Hang on, my dorm is on the first corridor down to the very bottom then the room on the left, do you think we might share a wall! Because if we did that would be stupendous” I said to Draco before my brain even registered that I shouldn’t have mentioned it because it could have come to my advantage but noooo I have to open my big mouth God I’m so stupid sometimes.  
“Do you think we might? We will have to investigate that later” What how are we going to do that, drill a hole through the wall! NO I refuse that is not an option. “We could create a special knock so that one person starts it the other finishes it, what do you think?”  
“I think it sounds great” The smile widened on my face after a long discussion, whilst sat on Draco’s bed, we finally came up with a special knock that does “knock, knock, knock knock knock” then the other person replies with “knock, knock” even though it’s quite simple we decided that would be better than any type of complicated one, we also came up with a knock code:  
The special knock- Are you there  
The reply is yes  
1- Hi  
3- Can I come over?  
4- Not yet wait  
5- I need help  
6- I need to talk to you  
And then if we need more then we will add them on when we come to that obstacle and before we knew it, it was half 12 at night, we did have to let Crabbe and Goyle come in at some point but I think Blaise purposely didn’t come in, either that or he was too busy with Mel doing whatever his and Mel were doing.  
“Its half 12 I’m going to have to go Mel will kill me if she’s been back for ages” I stood up from Draco’s bed and made my way too the door, he followed suit and walked me to my dorm, for what it was worth but it was a cute gesture, when we stood outside my door I hugged him before going, the top of my head was just under his nose as we hugged. I pulled back but not completely just enough so I was still in his arms but I could see his face, he leaned closer to me and before I knew it his lips where on mine but almost as quick as they came then went again and he whispered “Good night shortcake” and then just like that he was gone. I entered the dorm and locked eye contact with Mel  
“-I just kissed Draco”  
“-Me and Blaise are together-“wait what.


	10. Halloween

Days turned into weeks, turned into months, me and Draco got closer, Mel and Blaise got cuter, and before I knew it, it was Halloween. The Great Hall was decorated from door to door in floating pumpkins and cobwebs the ceiling was covered in flying bats. Draco and I have decided that we aren't going to get together at this moment in time and we agreed that it was in the heat of the moment so we agreed not to tell anyone else other than Mel and Blaise, I know Tayla, Pansy and Millicent were all asleep when I told me so they don't know and I plan on keeping it that way

Everybody was on a sugar high, buzzing about the party in their common rooms tonight. Today's lessons where the same as every other day except they will be Halloween themed, and there is an unlimited amount of sweets in the great hall all day.  
Me, Mel and Claire are sitting in the great hall having our breakfast before our first lesson of the day when Draco and Blaise come running up to us "you need to one with us, quickly" Blaise rushed out whilst Draco was catching his breath. "Why?" "Just trust me ok?" "Ok" we walked out of the great hall behind them, followed them down the stairs to the common room and as soon as we got there SPLAT my face met a face full of whipped cream and then an uproar of laughter from the two boys rang in my ears, and I'm guessing Mel met the same fate as I briefly saw her wipe her eyes then chance Blaise into the dorms. I however was going to take this with a different approach. I noticed the cans of whipped cream where on the table behind him and started to cry only slightly to make it seem real “I thought you cared about me" I sobbed biting the inside of my lip to stop myself from laughing "I... I... I... I do I just thought it would be a laugh that's all i am so sorry I didn’t mean for you to get upset I just thought... With it being Halloween and all it would be a bit of a joke I swear I didn't mean it I'm so sorry!" He went red and hid eyes widened with fear, he bit his lip slightly which he does when he's nervous. "Oh okay I guess you would find my embarrassment funny" it's so hard to keep a straight face whilst is covered in whipped cream. "Hey is ok I didn't mean it" he came closer to try and comfort me and just like that he walked right into my trap, I grabbed the collar of his robes and whipped my face all over them then used my wand to clean my face before I grabbed the whipped cream can from behind him before he had even realised what I was doing and sprayed it all over him. He was now covered in it where as I hadn't got a trace on me. He looked at right state I’ll tell you that much and it was hilarious. I doubled over with laughter as he stood there frozen and confused at how I had just completely fucked up his plan and he was now the one covered in cream. His face was priceless, he stood frozen still covered in cream, his mouth bobbing up and down like a gold fish but that soon stopped, his eyes fixed on something behind me then burst out laughing. Confused and intrigued I turned around to find a cream covered Blaise and Mel and joined Draco in laughter, I waved my wand and cleaned up Mel but left Blaise and Draco to suffer.  
“Err, Excuse us” Blaise kept moving his thumb in between him and Draco “Forgetting something?”  
“Nope? Mel are we forgetting something?” I said mimicking Blaise’s facial expression to the best of my ability.  
“Nope I don’t think we are” She said mimicking Blaise’s expression as well.  
“You'll never guess what...” She says to Mel and me completely ignoring the boys’ creamy state, but to her credit she looks too happy to notice anything right now, but that’s good it’s been a good few days since she’s had a genuine smile on her face; it’s nice, really nice.  
“What..?” We both said at the same time. Again. Its an increasing habit we have developed  
“Dumbledore has given us the rest of the day off, to set up for all of the parties” she says as the smile on her face gets bigger and she starts dancing in a weird-ass but hilarious way.  
“No wayyy!!! Please tell me you're not joking” I ask her waiting for her to say ‘no just kidding get your asses down to class you have 10 minutes’ but that never came she just smiled which shows how serious she actually is. Dumbledore is legitimately the best thing that ever happened to this school.  
“You know what that means then... Band practiseeee!!” Mel says, we all burst out laughing and Blaise muttered ‘too cute, so fucking adorable, damn’ under his breath and I’m sure Mel heard, but oh well.  
We make our way up the stairs to our dorm with a cream covered Draco and Blaise following moodily. I take out my acoustic guitar as Claire takes hers out. We all sit in a circle as Mel begin strumming the first few notes of her favourite song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prNI1o0JUZ4 ) , a small smile appears on all of our faces. She begin singing the first lines...

“As we wake up in your room, your face is the first thing I see, the first time I've seen love, and the last I'll ever need...” I then step in and take over for a verse... “you remind her that your future would be nothing without her, Never lose her, I'm afraid, Better think of something good to say, But it's all been done, more than once so I'll keep on trying, Oh God don't let me be the only one who says... “Then together we sing together for the rest of the song...  
“No! At the top of our lungs, there’s no, no such thing as too young, when second chances won't leave you alone, then there's faith in love  
She was always the one, I'll repeat it again, the one, No such thing as too young, Red lights flash in the car we're kissing in, Call me crazy,  
I've always tried to remind her that the future's, Just a few heartbeats away from disaster. I'm afraid that I've thrown it all away.  
No! At the top of our lungs, There's no, no such thing as too young, Second chances won't leave you alone (won't leave you alone...)  
No at the top of our lungs, There's no, no such thing as too young, Second chances won't leave you alone  
(No)” Claire sings the backing vocals “We'll repeat it again, There's no, no such thing as too young, Second chances won't leave you alone, 'Cause there's faith in...  
(Love)  
If you kiss me goodnight, I'll know, everything is alright, Second chances won't leave us alone, Won't leave us alone, 'Cause there's faith in love”  
As we finish the last few notes Mel’s breathing heavily from putting every bit of energy into that performance, as the last note finished she looked around our circle to see we are in the same state as me with tears in our eyes, Claire was sobbing silently into the back of her hand and as for the two lads, well their jaws were hanging. The sight of them made me want to burst out laughing. I looked at the time for the first time all day. Shit. There was only 3 hours left until our house party and none of us had even attempted to get ready, were the fuck did the time go it was breakfast, what felt like, five minutes ago! SHIZ BUCKET.  
“Mel, why do you look like you've see a ghost” I ask, confused.  
“The party is in 3 hours and I have nothing to wear!” she says with panic laced in her voice. I guess you could say there was a panic at the disco. Damn it Charlotte now is not the time!  
Claire suddenly stands up and grabs Draco and Blaise and throws them out of the door.  
“I think it's time you two left and got ready yourselves” She opens the door and pushes the lads out then turns back to us.  
“I'll be back in 10 minutes don't move, start getting ready and don't panic.” And with that she leaves, closing the door behind her.  
“What is she up to now” I said.  
“I have no fucking idea” Moments later she comes back into the room holding a black plastic bag.  
“I was meant to give you this for Christmas but it’s more important now” She said handing Mel the bag then left the room again to get ready, she opened it cautiously and confused and then revealed this (http://www.polyvore.com/halloween/set?id=159051680) she carried on staring at it as I got up grabbed my clothes (http://www.polyvore.com/halloween_wdily/set?id=158673077) and left for the bathroom to get ready, when I returned to the dorm Claire was back and dressed (http://www.polyvore.com/claire_halloween/set?id=159052161). They both looked amazing, I grabbed my robe and threw it over my clothes because all though Dumbledore gave us the day off it was still tradition that we all wore our uniform for all feasts, Mel copied my movements and Claire grabbed hers off the bed and followed suit.  
“You ready to go?” I asked them making sure that they were done and not just half done.  
“Yeah, I guess, come on the foods great you’ll love it” Claire said as we followed her out of the door.  
As we walked into the Great Hall the tables were clear but the room was still decorated, I’ve never thought Halloween would be worth all this effort my mum and dad always said it was a waste of time and a pathetic excuse to take peoples things without actually asking just because that was what the tradition was. I immediately saw Draco and Blaise with three empty seats around them, I sat by Draco, Mel sat in between Blaise and Claire on the other side of the table.  
“Settle down everyone please, I do not wish to keep you very long I’m sure that you will want to celebrate with your friends in a different way-“ He winked directly at us five then continued “- so I will keep this very short. Hem hem, Enjoy” He wave his hands and mountains of sweets, cakes and sugary treats appeared on the tables with the occasional sandwich or two.  
The five of us were chatting among ourselves when a loud bang came from the Great Hall doors banging open, revealing a pale and terrified looking Professor Quirrell.  
“TROOOOOLLLLLLLLLL IN THE DUNGEON TROOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLL IN THE DUNGEON” he looked like he was going to be sick, the colour drained from his face “Thought you ought to know” Then SPLAT he collapsed on the floor, this acts as a signal and everybody to panic, scream and run for the door, even Draco looked terrified I however just looked at Mel and Claire then nodded and sat back down so we don’t get crushed in the stampede.  
“SILENCEEE” Dumbledore boomed over the noise of people, everything stopped like someone had just frozen the time. “Will the prefects please escort their houses to the dormitories, all members of staff follow me to the dungeon.” He said much calmer than I expected, it was almost as if he had done this before. We slowly stood up and made our way to the crowd. I saw Potter and that Bloody Weasley boy look at each other, say something simultaneously then run into the crowds. Without thinking I grabbed Mel’s arm then dragged her with me to follow them. We made it out of the doors just in time to see them disappear into a corridor, I followed them ignoring Mel’s pleas for answers as we walked, they disappeared into what looked like the girls toilets I was going to turn back around to leave them to do whatever they were doing when I heard a scream and the sound of smashing wood, I instantly ran through the door. There, right in front of Hermione stood a twelve foot tall, and at least 3 meters wide, mountain troll club in the air ready to attack. It was only when reality sunk in that Hermione was crouched under a sink trying not to make a sound. As I looked around at the bathroom, the stalls were smashed to bits and Ron and Harry were throwing broken wood planks at the troll, I instantly joined in and Mel followed suit.  
“Hey pea-brain” Ron shouted and grasped the attention away from Hermione. We carried on throwing wood at the troll and for a split second I thought it worked until Hermione tried to move from under the sinks, catching the eye of the brain dead troll. It, for the second time this evening, lifted up its club and smashed the sink directly above Hermione.  
“Hermione MOVE!!” I shouted to her, Ron and Harry didn’t know Me and Mel were stood there and apparently nearly did Hermione as she looked confused and stopped mid crawl SMASH the troll brought us all back to reality by smashing up another sink and releasing a sprinkle of water this one just inches away from Hermione “HELP” she screamed and Harry jumped into action to save his friend, apparently all he could think of as a way of helping was to grab hold of the trolls club and somehow end up on his shoulders like a child on their mother or father, except with a rather large size difference. The troll confused as to what had happened tried to shake him off like a dog drying their fur, but Harry clung on for his life. As the troll launched its self forward, Harry threw himself back and his wand was now jammed into the trolls nose, ewe. The troll tried to sneeze it out but failed and returned to its shaking method, and as if he forgot about the 11 inch piece of wood lodged into its brain he got Harry by the foot and dangled him like a turkey ready for butchering. The troll started swinging his club at Harry and before I knew what else to say I heard Mel shout “DO SIT UPS HARRY” we all stare at her, even the Troll stopped swinging for him to look at her as if she was mad she simply shrugged and as soon as her shoulders were back in their place the troll started swinging again. Harry, surprisingly, used her advice and pulled his torso to his knees  
“THANKS” he shouted, the troll took another swing and yet again he pulled his weight up to his knees “DO SOMETHING” he yelled and Ron automatically stepped forward, wand at the ready. His face lit up, but then faded into nerves.  
“SWISH AND FLICK” Hermione shouted clearly understanding what he was trying to do, the levitation spell we learnt recently in charms  
“Wingardium Leviosa” He said and, successfully, levitated the trolls club. The troll stood confused as if it had vanished into thin air, then looked up and as he did the club, which was hanging above his head, smashed on his head. He staggered in a drunken state and dropped Harry then finally dropped its self on the floor just centimetres away from were Harry lay. Hermione stood up from behind the sink and Harry retrieved his wand and cleaned it of troll snot on his robes. All was quite except the tinkle of water.  
“Is it… dead?” Hermione asked cautiously.  
“No, just knocked out” I replied, judging by the slight movement in the trolls stomach pushing his up slightly with every shaky breath. Then almost seconds later the teachers came running in gobsmacked and panicked at the sight of the motionless troll.  
“OH, oh my goodness” McGonagall said unevenly “I-J-B explain yourselves all of you” Me, Mel, Ron and Harry started to rush into an explanation then Hermione spoke up  
“it’s my fault professor McGonagall” everybody looked speechless at how a small innocent and smart lady like her could do such a thing, all though Snape looks slightly pleased that she’s not perfect like the others think.  
“Miss Granger” McGonagall sounded heartbroken as she looked at the girl.  
“I went looking for the troll, I had read about them and thought I could handle it. But I was wrong, if these four hadn’t come and found me I’d probably be dead”  
“Be that as it may, it was an extremely foolish thing for you to do. I would have expected more rational behaviour on your part and I am very disappointed in you miss Granger 5 points will be taken from your house for your serious lack of judgement. As for you two gentlemen I just hope you realise how fortunate you are, and you two girls as well however I will leave it up to professor Snape to deal with your fate, not many first year students could have tackled a fully grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. FIVE points will be awarded to each of you, for sheer dumb luck! Professor I will leave you to deal with these two” Leaving with the Gryffindor’s behind her.  
“So, explain how you ended up helping Potter.” Snape said, venom laced his words as he dragged out the name Potter. Mel looked at me to explain as I still had not explained to her, oops.  
“I saw him and Weasley rushing out the door, I got curious and grabbed Mel so I wasn’t alone and followed them. We saw them head into the girls bathroom and was about to turn around when we heard a crash followed by a scream” I said reliving the whole experience as I spoke. Who knew curiosity could have killed me and my best friend, yet it saved three others.  
“Well I hope you know how serious that could have been TEN points will be awarded to each of you, Goodnight girls.” Its times like this that I really love being a Slytherin.


	11. Flying

“Parcel-tongue” I said to the statue of Salazar Slytherin. He sunk through the ground and revealed the door to the common room. Inside everyone was frantically worrying and panicking around something in the centre of the swarm was a crying girl, it took me a while to register who it was Claire.

“There they are” an older student shouted, everybody’s heads spun around so fast I swear I heard neck click.

“WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN” Claire, Draco and Blaise all said at the same time, it was quite scary actually. Mel and I made our way to the couch next to a bloodshot eyed Claire and explained the whole story about how we saw Potter and Weasley going the wrong way and thought they might be looking for trouble but how they were actually trying to warn Granger blah blah blah blah blah.

“Wait so you actually told him to do sit ups, and he listened” Blaise said in between breathless gasps of laughter. Claire was not so amused she kept whispering over and over again to herself ‘you could have been killed’ and to be honest she has a point, which makes me feel really guilty for dragging Mel with me. I could have never forgave myself if something had happened to Mel in the process of that. Once everybody heard the story some were shocked, some didn’t believe it and some laughed but most respected us because of how we saved the school unintentionally because we were aiming to bust Potters arse.

The next day Me, Mel, Claire, Draco and Blaise were walking through the great hall for breakfast and all eyes were on us, everything went silent then in an instant everybody started whispering, ‘there the girls who helped Harry’, ‘ didn’t they save Hermione?’ and ‘They helped knock out the troll’ and many others. We became the talk of the school over shadowing the golden trio because if we didn’t step in they wouldn’t have survived it.

After we ate our food surrounded by the hushed whispers about last night me and Draco went to the only class we have together just the two of us, Defence against the Dark Arts. We walked up the two flights of stairs then said goodbye to Mel and Blaise, who are off to Charms class on the fourth floor. We entered the shadowy room with rods decorated in strange creatures and beasts hanging by their limb body parts, fixed between the celling arches and odd animal fluids in jars scattered across any available space, mainly on the window sills, and sat at the back of the room waiting for today’s lesson to begin.

                “Cl-cl-cl-class t-tot-today w-we wi-ll be practice-cing the kn-kn-kn-knockback jinx. W-w-w-wands out and on the t-t-t-table and r-r-repeat ‘ _Flipendo_ ’ g-g-g-good now gr-gr-grab a pillow f-from the b-box and p-p-p-practice.” I looked at Draco and he looked at me, I wanted him to get them and he wanted me to go we stared each other until he blinked declaring my victory. He stood up in defeat and got the pillows giving me evils the whole was back.

                “I don’t like you sometimes! How do you always win!?” Getting more aggravated as he speaks, it’s quite funny this is the second time I’ve beat him.

                “A magician never reveals their secrets” I say using one of my favourite muggle quotes I picked up listening to muggle bands.

                “WHAT? What the hell is a magician?” I forgot he wouldn’t understand that reference…

                “Well, there are two type of magicians one is a wizard who performs magic, without his wand, to make people believe in magic but they have to be careful otherwise they will let out our secret so they call them illusions. The other is a muggle who sets up tricks but they are sloppy and not very imaginative so it’s only stupid things like pulling rabbits out of hats, the hat has a false base with a rabbit hidden behind it so it looks to be empty, the muggle simply moves the base and pulls the rabbit out. It’s a bit pathetic really but it keeps the muggles happy and clueless about our world.”

                “How do you know this!?” he asked still confused as hell. Last summer I was really bored my mum and dad were constantly working, my father at the ministry and my mother in Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Ally. My mother would often take me to work with her and let me look around the shops but one day, after I had looked around all the shops so many time I could tell anyone where to find anything including isle numbers, I stayed in Flourish and Blotts and just read all day. I came across a book about muggles and their lifestyles. I guess something actually stuck in my mind.

                “Reading.” I said simply and started practising the spell on my cushion. ‘ _Flipendo_ ’ nothing. ‘Flipendo’ Nothing. ‘Flipendo’ again. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. BAM my cushion hit Draco, who was sat opposite me, square in the face. He grabbed his cushion and began hitting me with it, nobody around us noticed due to the amount of incantations and cushions flying around so vigorously that the only thing keeping the jars from falling was Professor Quirrell’s repelling charm ( _rejicio_ ) that prevented the cushion from being flung into unwanted places such as windows and Quirrell’s desk and due to the amount of flying cushions he was hiding behind his desk giving a slight whimper every time a cushion would hit the invisible wall. After throwing my hands up in defeat, Draco finally stopped pelting me with his pillow leaving me with enough time to grab my own cushion and push Draco to the ground giving me the chance to get my revenge. After a solid 3 minutes of hitting him I got off him, sat in my original place, placed the cushion in its place and began reciting the spell again ad if nothing had happened.

                “ _Flipendo_ ” I successfully threw the pillow across the room and it landed by Longbottom. I stood up and went to retrieve it. Once I had returned Draco wouldn’t look at me, he turned his head in a childlike manner with his arms crossed sharp over his chest, making him look like a 5 year old having a tantrum. “Draco.” Nothing, “ _Flipendo_ ” the cushion flew over by the window so I got up to collect it and sat back down again. “Draco” Blanked. “DRACO” again nothing. “Draco Francis Malfoy. If you keep ignoring me I will hit you over the head with this again.” I said getting annoyed at his arrogance. He turned to look at me for the first time in 15 minutes with a childish pout.

                “Your mean” he said simply, sticking his lip out further then turning his head away from me again. Well stuff you then. Anger raised inside me as I repeated the spell for what felt like the thousandth time that lesson. My anger sent the pillow propelling all the way across the room and hitting somebody on the back of the head. I ran over to retrieve the cushion from the person, who was now rubbing their head, and to apologise.

                “I am so so so sorry.” I said to the dark haired boy. He turned to face me it was only then that I realised that it was Harry Potter. I was going to snatch the cushion away from him and walk away like any other Slytherin’s would but then we locked eye contact, is emerald green eyes bore into my soul as my ice blue ones did to him. I felt a weird rush of calm flow over me like I had known him my whole life, I felt like no matter what I could trust him with anything, I felt a connection being made as we stood staring at each other, I felt like I had been missing something my whole life and this is it.

                “Don’t worry about it” He said without breaking our eye contact.

                “Thanks” I took the cushion off him, he’s still a no good Gryffindor that will never change I thought to myself, I shook my head we finally breaking the eye contact and I walked back to a confused Draco who, by the look on his face, had witnessed everything.

                “What was all that about?” He asked sounding genuinely hurt.

                “I have no idea… whatever it was it was weird. Anyway what does it matter its only Potter he’s a waste of time” I said trying to resist looking back over to where Harry was sitting, but I couldn’t stop myself so I looked back towards only to catch Hermione glaring at me as Harry was talking to them both, so naturally I glared back. “Come on we need to practice, _Flipendo_.”

Draco and I walked out of DADA with our arms linked as we made our way outside to meet Mel, Blaise and Claire. We walked down by the lake and sat in our regular spot leaning against a tree. The sky was a greyish blue filled with a myriad of clouds. The sun reflecting off the black lake, the birds in the sky fleeing their nest on a hunt for food and the leaves on the trees turning into exquisite colours of orange, red and brown. Mel sat buried on Blaise’ side, Claire stood skimming rocks across the lake and I sat in between Draco’s legs resting my head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. We may have decided not to act on the kiss we shared earlier in the year but we never went back to being just friends, we have our moments, like this one, when we act cute and coupley but we never act on it. It’s just the kind of relationship we have developed. And to be honest I wouldn’t have it any other way. We sat, talked and laughed for our 20 minute break without moving at all before we had to go to class. Our next class we all, Me, Mel, Blaise and Draco, had together and it was our first flying lesson of the year. Its later than normal but that’s only because Madam Hooch has had a bit of a cold and you can’t make sure children aren’t going to fall off there brooms after their first lesson while your sneezing all of the time making your eyes water. As we got to the grassy area that will be our classroom for the next hour. There was 2 lines brooms laid down, 15 in each, on the ground. I stood on the left side of a broom at the end with Draco to my left, Mel in front of me and Blaise in front of Draco. More people filled the remaining brooms including Harry, and once all the brooms were filled madam Hooch made her way down in between the two rows. She was a tall woman with grey hair and piercing green eyes, her face reminded me of a cat with the colour of her eyes and the shape of her nose.

                “Good afternoon class.”

                “Good afternoon Madam Hooch” everybody said excitedly, in sync. She carried on walking until she got to the end of the line, occasionally saying hello to people she knew the names of.

                “Welcome to your first flying lesson. Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone step up to the left side of your broom stick-“done “- come on now hurry up. Stick your right hand over your broom stick and say ‘up’”

                “UP” I shouted and immediately caught my broom, I looked around waiting to see that Mel, myself and Harry were the only ones who’s broom shot up after the first attempt. Draco followed closely by with only his second attempt being successful. Blaise however was having a bit of trouble with getting his broom to move. “Say it with feeling, give it an order” I said to him and immediately after he said up again it shot into his hand.

                “Thanks, I’ll remember that one” he said with a small smile. About half the class had manages to get there brooms in their hands but some still struggled.

                “With feel!” Hooch said to those who struggled. Looking around, bored, I watch them struggling when I noticed Weasley was stood on the end of his brooms bristles and just as I noticed this he said ‘up’ and the broom hit him straight in the face, Harry laughed and Draco and Blaise howled as he rubbed his noes I chucked slightly as he glared at Draco and Blaise. “Now, once you’ve got hold of your brooms, I want you to mount it. And grip it tight, you don’t want to be sliding of the end. When I blow my whistle I want each of you to kick off from the ground hard keep your brooms steady, hover for a moment, lean forward slightly and touch back down. On my whistle three, two” she blew the whistle and before anybody had the chance to follow her instructions Longbottom was floating higher that he should have been, he looked scared so obviously he didn’t know what was going on. “Mr Longbottom” Hooch said as he floated aimlessly around the spot he once was stood. “M-Mr lon- Mr Longbottom. MR LONGBOTTOM!” she shouted as he began to move forwards. He wobbled from side to side out of control flying higher and higher shouting for help. Madam Hooch stood staring transfixed on Longbottom floating higher and higher “COME BACK DOWN THIS INSTANT!” she shouted after him, but realised that he wasn’t in control of the broom anymore, with nothing left to do than wait for him to get back on the ground, she stood and watched. He started wobbling more vigorously than before and started doing loops as the broom carried on going straight ahead, with no time to fully recover from the loops he flew nose first into a wall. The broom spun and the bristled end of the broom hit the wall, this carried on until there was no wall left to smash off meaning that he flew back wards until the broom forced itself forwards again. Neville was now nose diving towards the floor pulling up at the last second before heading straight for our class. Hooch attempted to stop him with her wand but had no time to so she dived for the floor as the class split into running. He headed straight through a small tunnel like passage way, as soon as he was out again he was flying up and over the building only to have his robed caught on a statue holding a pointy spear. The spear end caught Neville’s robed causing him to hang there while his broom flew off into the unknown as everyone began shouting Neville. He managed to gather his head again and everything calmed down. But then there was a sound of material ripping as the spear pierced hit robes and his robes ripped causing him to fall down. Everyone screamed, I thought he was going to fall straight on the floor, I grabbed Draco’s hand/ wrist with one hand and the other clasped over my mouth as I gasped. But he didn’t fall on the ground no he landed on a torch holder I caught my breath again but as soon as I did it left my mouth all over again as Neville slipped through his robe and landed straight on the floor with a crash. I let go of Draco and watched the scene unfold in front of me.

                “Everyone out of the way” Madame Hooch shouted and everyone split in two for the second time today so she could run to his aid. She supported Neville as he cradled his wrist as he repeatedly said ow. “Oh dead, it’s a broken wrist, come on up you get.” I noticed Draco bend down and pick something up off the ground. “Everyone’s to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr Longbottom to the hospital wing, understand. If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before they can say ‘Quidditch” she walked off with Neville under her arm.

                “Did you see his face? Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze-“he held up what he picked up from the floor, it looked like a remember-all“-he’d have remembered to fall on his fat arse.” People started laughing and I tried to hold back my laugh as Harry stepped up to Draco.

                “Give it here Malfoy” he said, the laughter died down.

                “No, I think I’ll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find” he stood on his broom and flew sideways going in a circle around the group, only to return into my eye sight only to be sat on the broom heading upwards. “How about on the roof! What’s the matter potter? Bit beyond your reach?” He said as he pulled the broom to a stop looking down waiting for Potter to decide whether or not it’s worth the risk of expulsion just to help give a friend his possession. Potter decided to mount his broom and was about to take off when Granger stepped in.

                “Harry, no way. You heard what Madam Hooch said. Besides you don’t even know how to fly!” she’s got a point but Potter was taking none of it he took off flying any way. “What an idiot” is all Granger said. I watch the scene above me unfold. Potter came to Draco’s level. I could barely hear what they were saying but I vaguely made out “Give… Here… Knock… broom” well shit, Draco’s going to get himself killed. I didn’t hear what Draco said I only saw Potter launch for the ball but Draco skilfully spun around the broom much like Neville did earlier but less wobbly this time, now Potter was behind him so he put the ball up to show him and launched it further than I had seen anyone throw a ball with such ease. Potter raced after it but Draco stayed put for a few seconds watching him chase it before descending for the ground again so only Potter would get caught if anyone did at all. When he landed Blaise gave him a small high five and patted his back. The ball flew further and further heading straight for the castle wall, Potter sped up and managed to turn/ spin inches before the wall catching the ball easily in his hand. He then made the decline back to the ground to join the rest of the class. Everyone in Gryffindor greeted him with cheers and praise as if he had save someone’s life! Seriously, over reacting much! After a few seconds of praise someone shouted his name. It was McGonagall.

                “Follow me” she said simply and turned, walking back up toward the castle. He followed behind her with the grimmest expression I have ever seen plastered on his face.

                “What was that for!” I turned to face Draco, he’s lucky he’s not following Potter!

                “What? It was funny!?” he said like he didn’t have a clue what was happening!

                “OH yeah so funny, you would have been laughing so hard if you had got caught as well! You could have been kicked out of here!” I said trying to get the importance threw to him.

                “Charl, relax it was just a joke. For a minute there I thought you were going to yell at me for getting Potter into trouble!” he pulled me in for a hug resting his chin on my head.

                “Why would I care about Potter, you’re my best friend-“

                “HEM HEM EXCUSE ME!!” Mel butted in looking extremely hurt. I pulled my head off Draco’s chest but kept my arms around him, so I could see Mel.

                “Best guy friend, you know your my best friend Mel” I said winking at her.” Anyway. As I was saying. You’re my best GUY friend you can’t abandon me in this place! You make it better!” I pulled him back into a quick hug but had to let go as Madam Hooch made her way back over to the class.

                “RIGHT! As I was saying before Mr Longbottom’s accident. Mount your broo- hang on where’s Mr Potter?” Madam Hooch boomed over the class.

                “Professor McGonagall came to collect him, Miss. It looked like her was in trouble.” I said trying to act like nothing had happened. Hermione shot me a glare but luckily she’s smart enough not to say anything to Hooch.

                “Right, mount your brooms, hover for a moment, lean forward the touch back down. Hopefully this attempt will be less dramatic. On my whistle. Three. Two.” She blew the whistle and I did exactly what she asked, except the landing part I hovered for a while longer than I should have done purely for the fact that most people couldn’t quite get the hang of it.  “Excellent Miss Smith, now let me see you land” I did exactly as she asked with ease. “Brilliant, once I have got the rest of the group sorted on a task I would like to come back to you to see what you can do, now Mr Malfoy can you push off, hover and land again please. That’s it keep hovering for a moment now land. Brilliant I’d like to assess you as well” I high fived Draco as Hooch moved on to Mel who did the exact same as we had been asked. When she landed she looks really pleased with herself. As Madam Hooch moved on to Blaise, Mel came over to stand with us. “She wants to see me after everyone else is sorted as well. But Blaise seems to be struggling a bit.” A frown appeared on her face as Blaise wobbled a lot more that he should in the air. When he touched back down again he looked really disappointed in himself, Mel went back over to join him. Draco whispered as he told me that the reason Blaise had never been on a broom before is because him and his mother are always traveling, his mother refuses to teach him after she suffered a nasty fall in her youth and since he’s never really had a stable father figure in his life. I feel quite bad for him to be honest it must be hard having your mother being involved with some many different men in her time.

                “Right all the people I have said I would like to see would you kindly wait over there while I set a task for everybody else.” Me, Mel and Draco walked to where we were told and sat down waiting for Hooch to return. We were joined by three other people, a girl in Ravenclaw and two Gryffindor boys I don’t know. We wait 15 minutes for Hooch to return to our small group, leaving the others currently trying to hover in the air for as long as possible.

                “Right I want you lot to mount your brooms and hover in the air and for a circle.” We all did this in next to no time “Excellent now I will throw this ball-“ She made a quaffle appear out of midair with a flick of her wand, “- and I want you to simply pass it to each other, this will strengthen your balance as you will need to do this with no hands on your broom.” She threw the ball up so the first person to catch it will start, this person was Mel, then she went to attend the less abled group.

Throughout the rest of the lesson we carried on throwing the ball to each other. Me, Mel and Draco were having a detailed discussion about Quidditch whereas the other three where making small talk between themselves. Potter came back in the middle of our practicing and joined the other group with Weasley and Granger, and I’m guessing that perfect Mr Potter wasn’t in any trouble at all he was in a great mood and was telling them both an amazing story judging by their reactions. Madam Hooch blew her whistle to bring everybody to the ground again as it was the end of the lesson, we stopped talking to take our brooms back to the broom cupboard and go to lunch.

                “Well done everybody that was a great turnaround from the eventful start to the lesson, you may go to lunch”


	12. Try-outs

“Did you see Galvin Gudgeon has been signed for the Cannons?”

“Yeah, maybe he’ll bring the team some actual success, how long has it been since they won a title?”

“It’s been a century next year” the four of us were walking down to the great hall for lunch, laughing and joking about Quidditch. The whole conversation came about after a large discussion on how Blaise can’t fly for shit, Mel said she would teach him if she had a broom but first years aren’t allowed to bring brooms in case they can’t actually fly them and they fall and die, bit pathetic if you ask me just because most people are muggleborn and can’t identify the difference between a twig and a wand doesn’t mean that all of us are hopeless on a broom.

We sat down at the Slytherin table and waited for lunch to appear.

                “I want to work in the ministry like father, not sure which department yet but I guess I’ll figure that out later on in life. What about you what do you want to do when your older?” Draco asked. I still don’t know why he won’t call his dad, dad instead of father!

                “I want to be a potions professor, I don’t know what it is but I just want the authority over people and to be able to possibly teach the best potioneer of their time everything they know, because I’m guessing that is a pretty good feeling.” I said I’ve always wanted to teach potions since I got my first child’s cauldron when I was 5, granted you could only make the simplest potions like a charm to make your toys sparkle for a day or making a sparkling heart out of steam in mid-air, that was always my mums favourite because I would always call her into the room before I added the last ingredient then added it and ran to hide under the bed thinking she wouldn’t know I made it for her. I loved that set but by the age of 6 I had perfected all of the possible potions so my mother let me make real potions but she was always next to me to do the heat and she would cut the ingredients for me in the way that they needed. It was great I loved having our potion days but that stopped when she got a job in the book store, I barely made potions because I was too young to do it alone.

                “I think you’d make a great teacher, better than Snape anyway he’s shouts a lot, but you you’d help everyone to get every potion perfect no matter how long it takes.” Draco said

                “I guess haha. Hey Draco? Why do you call you dad father?” I asked looking up at him so our eyes locked on each other.

                “That’s just what I’ve always called him, calling him dad would just be strange. Are you coming to see the Quidditch try-outs after last lesson?” he said diverting the conversation from his family.

                “Yeah, sure” I said, and then the food appeared and we tucked in to lunch, surrounded by the conversations in the great hall.

 

Standing in the Quidditch grounds with my Slytherin scarf wrapped tightly around my neck and my arm linked in Draco’s, I was waiting for the try outs to start Ashley and Claire are trying out. After about 10 minutes the players finally came out of the tunnels. They did a few warm up laps around the pitch and passed the ball around in a circle then finally they started testing people. Marcus Flint the team captain made everyone form a line to see how well they put the  quaffle through the hoop, he was in goal so they has a ‘proper’ goalkeeper. A 4th year girl completely missed the goal hoop so bad the quaffle hit viewing stand to the right of the goalpost, a 5th year boy threw the quaffle so high it went in a direct circle, got lost in the sun then hit him on the head the quaffle hit him so hard he got knocked out and fell off his broom to the ground Draco howled with laughter but I tried to hide my laughter so I didn’t seam rude, a 2nd year froze and just dropped the quaffle mid-shot causing the whole team to laugh and Ashley managed to bounce the quaffle off the metal bar and still scored a goal. All of the try outs, except Ashley, so far where terrible other than one boy, Adrian Pucey, managed to get a good shot in after Marcus got too cocky. Then there was only one person left to give it a shot, Claire, I could see the determination in her eyes as she stared at Marcus trying to figure out where he was going to move to. She fired the quaffle and everything slowed down I stood up in my seat and watched as the ball curved towards the bottom right goal, Marcus shot in the opposite direction and completely missed, his face dropped as he stumbled to try and turn the broom around to save it but it was too late it when through the hoop! Everything sped up as me, Mel, Draco, Blaise and Ashley all cheered for her.

                “AGAIN!” Marcus shouted at Claire clearly out raged that he had let it in. 1,2,3,4,5 goals in a row Marcus threw his hands up in defeat and moodily shout “NEXT POSITION” they moved on to keeping. Marcus fired quaffles into the goal for the try outs to save, again most of them where hopeless except last year’s keeper Miles Bletchley but that only because he’s last year’s keeper, seams stupid that he had to re-try out for a team he was technically already on but hey-ho I don’t make the rules. Then we moved on to beaters, the only person with a decent shot was Ashley she managed to curve the ball to hit a 4th year on the back of the head earning a chorus of laughs from the team. Then it was seeker. My favourite position. Marcus said the first person to catch the snitch has a more than better chance of being the team seeker. The golden ball was released and everybody scrambled I kept my eye on it the whole time as everyone looked hopelessly around the pitch.

                “It’s by the top goal post closest to the castle” I said to Draco as everyone was still looking hopelessly. “Now it’s by Flint’s ear” without losing eye contact I kept watch on the snitch.

                “HOW CAN YOU SEE THAT FROM HERE!!?” Draco shouted making everyone look at us. Mel looked at me wide-eyed in disbelief.

                “NO TALKING DURING TRY OUTS WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS!” Marcus shouted at us. The snitch was now behind Ashley’s head

                “NOTHING OTHER THAN THE FACT SHE CAN SEE THE SNITCH FROM HERE! OBVIOUSLY THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS!” Draco shouted to flint so he could hear him, the try out team snapped their heads around to pretend they weren’t listening to the conversation and that they were still looking. I still hadn’t lost eye contact with the snitch.

                “WHERE IS IT THEN!” he shouted obviously not believing me.

                “IT’S BY THE BOTTOM LEFT GOAL POST FURTHEST AWAY FROM THE CASTLE!” I shouted to him not losing my eye contact, Marcus’ head shot in that direction so fast I swear his neck clicked! “NOW IT’S BY THE TEACHERS BOX!” I shouted again as he shot his head in that direction to prove I’m wrong.

                “GET A BROOM OUT THE CUPBOARD AND COME UP HERE NOW!” he shouted and this time it was my neck that clicked, he wanted me to try out!? But first years never make the team because they’re not aloud brooms. I speed walked to the broom cupboard now wanting to seem too eager but not wanting to dawdle either “SOMEONE BRING ME THE SNITCH NOW!” he shouted as I reached the cupboard. I grabbed a clean sweep and shot into the air skilfully like I do every time. I hauled to a stop so I was facing Marcus. “I want you to catch the snitch as fast as possible, I will release it and you will wait 5 seconds before going to find it. Your time starts after the 5 seconds.” He let go of the snitch and I kept my eye on it, everyone had been ordered to stay where they were so I had the obstacles of a normal match, 1.2.3.4.5 I was gone I followed the snitch at top speed it made a sharp corner, then in between the goalposts and then just as it went to shoot up I caught it with ease. I flew back to Marcus to see how fast I was. “Jesus that was less than 2 minutes!” he said enthusiastically “If you weren’t in first year I’d put you in the team straight away. But I can’t” his voice changed into a genuinely down hearted by me not being able to play this year. “Maybe next year kid” he said.

                “WAIT! Potter’s on the Gryffindor team, can’t you just ask Snape about letting her play? It can’t be one rule for one and another for someone else can it?” someone shouted from the group of people trying out. Wait what! Potter is seeker!? Since when?

                “As long as you’re up for it. I’ll see what Snape says, but no promises” Marcus said then turned to fly in the other direction

                “WAIT! Not to sound like I’m blackmailing you but is it ok if you watch Mel Black play the beater position I’ve heard she’s really good” I ask hopefully, I have nothing to lose really so it’s worth the risk, they need me more than I need the rules bent for me so. Marcus turned to face me and was about to say no but I guess he decided that it would be a good time to find a better beater than only having one good one.

                “FINE. BLACK! GET A BROOM AND GET UP HERE NOW!” he said down at her. I looked over at Mel who looked confused as hell looking at me for my help, I just simply nodded at her and she ran to the broom cupboard. When she reached were we were positioned she was what she was needed for but Marcus butted in “I hear you’re a fair beater, is that true?” Mel looked shocked but she pushed it down and acted confident.

“I’m not too bad I guess” she said

“Good. SOME ONE THROW A BULDGER OVER HERE WHEN I SAY, try and hit someone I’ll let you pick who. NOW!” he said trying to get this done with since technically the deal was to watch her not put her on the team. The bludger came hurtling towards her and without hesitation she hit the bludger in the opposite direction so it when full speed towards the 6th year girl with trashy hair extensions in her hair. The bludger hit her broom on the nose and bounced off again, only to have it hit her on her nose with just as much force as it hit her broom. Her nose started pouring with blood. Her friend next to her fixed it with a flick of her wand, then in perfect sync they both turned around and glared at Mel who just smirked then turned back to Marcus.

“Nice one black! Alright do it again just to make sure it wasn’t just a fluke!” Marcus said. “This time hit the second year who dropped the quaffle before” she hit the bludger and made it hit the second year on the back of the head causing him to faint and hit the ground making him the second person this practise to fall. “Good. I’ll speak to Snape about you two, I’m impressed and that is not an easy achievement, let’s hope this goes well. Oh and Black you are definitely a Chaser for the team and Rodgers you are definitely a Beater.”

We touched back down on the ground and put our brooms back in the broom cupboard and as we turned around I got engulfed in a massive group hug.

                “Guys, what was that for” I asked Mel, Claire and Ashley.

                “Many reasons really. 1. You got me a chance to be on the team, 2. You’re an amazing seeker! But why on earth didn’t you tell any of us!” I blushed at the compliment, I don’t tend to tell people that I was a naturally talented seeker because it brings unwanted attention.

                “I don’t tend to tell people. Oh but guys congratulations an making the team you were both amazing” I said to Claire and Ashley.

 

We walked back to the common room collecting Draco, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle along the way, but losing Ashley who said she wanted to go and do something. We found a corner in the far end of the common room and all sat down. Mel and Claire still talking about the try outs and Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle are talking about the newest stock in Zonko’s.

                “You don’t fail to surprise me every day Charl. You’re amazing at potions, you can play guitar, you can sing and now you’re an incredibly talented seeker as well. Is there anything you can’t do!?” my platinum blonde haired friend asked me making me blush for the second time today.

                “I don’t know… there’s probably something.” I said trying to hide the red that is increasingly building up on my face. “History of Magic doesn’t make any sense to me… does that count…”

                “Nope!” he said smugly.

                “WHY!?” I asked with a hint of anger in my voice

                “Because. I don’t think anybody can understand History of Magic” he said laughing slightly.

                “I give up! I’m going to the great hall, anybody coming with me?” I said before I could turn any redder. But that plan failed epically when Draco stood up to come to the great hall with me, but thankfully everybody else stood up and came with us.

Walking to the great hall was uneventful, the rest of the group carried on with their previous conversations from the common room and me and Draco walked in a comfortable silence, arm in arm, all the way. Walking through into the great hall was a different story, as soon as we walked across the oaky threshold me and Mel were swarmed by people asking if it was true that we might get on the team or not, and if I could really see the snitch from the stands, and if Mel really hit a girl, whose name is apparently Becky, on the nose. When she admitted this there was a chorus of laughter from the group that asked her, I guess Becky really isn’t a liked person in this school.

We sat down at the Slytherin table and waited for the dinner to appear.

                “Gossip spreads fast around this school doesn’t it.” I said tiredly, putting my arms in front of me on the table and then resting my head on my arms

                “That it does my friend. That it does.” Said Mel with a symmetrical tired voice to mine, also putting her arms on the table and her head on her arms.

                “So, what are your plans for tomorrow?” I asked Mel.

                “Homework and guitar, what about you?”

                “Probably the same to be honest, if I had my broom I would practise that but there’s no point we’re not allowed them” I said mimicking a teacher as I said it. The conversation was cut short at the appearance of our dinner, I took a large plate of spaghetti and meatballs with a side of garlic bread while Draco filled my goblet with pumpkin juice. “Thanks” I started eating my dinner in science listening to Mel and Claire talk about what they are going to get Snape for Christmas, apparently he has every potion book and dark arts book ever written so there is no point in buying him a book that he probably already has, apparently his stock of potion ingredients is always fully stocked with every possible ingredient you could ever need so they have no idea what to get him, Draco and Blaise were discussing the Malfoy Christmas ball and what they are going to do for most of the evening and Ashley was still nowhere to be found.

                “SMITH! BLACK! There you are I’ve been looking for you everywhere! I spoke to Snape he said he’s got no problem with you two playing for the team he just has to run it by Dumbledore first, he also said if Dumbledore is ok with it then he will organise getting you your uniform and brooms down here as fast as possible.” Marcus interrupted Mel and Claire’s conversation and gained my attention.

                “So all we need is for Dumbledore to say its ok?” I asked since Mel was too lost for words.

                “Yep, let’s hope he’s ok with it, oh but if he says it’s ok keep it a secret from everybody but your little friend group. I want to see Woods face when we come on with you two.” He smiled and then disappeared back to his group of 6th year friends. Me and Mel both looked up at the teachers table only to meet the eyes of the greatest wizard of our time was looking straight at us, with a mystical hint in his eye, then he simply winked and looked away and continued to eat his meal.

 

“Have you spoke to your mum and dad yet since you got here?” Mel asked sitting up on her bed without looking up from her magazine.

                “Nope” I said “I haven’t built up the guts to tell them I’m in Slytherin yet. They won’t be happy with it though, my mums a proud Ravenclaw and her head is full of stereotypes ‘All Slytherin’s are evil’ ‘All Hufflepuff’s are loyal’ ‘All Gryffindor’s are great’ and ‘All Ravenclaw’s are smart enough to pass there NEWTs without any preparation beforehand’ it’s all a load of bullshit. Especially the Ravenclaw one that one came about when my mum spent her entire seventh year with my dad and didn’t pay attention to anything and got O’s and E’s in all of her exams. So I don’t think she will appreciate the fact I am ‘dark and evil’” I told them with air quotations around the quotes, Mel finally looked up from her magazine “My dad on the other hand, he won’t give one he’s always told me to express myself in every way possible. He told me that no matter what house I was put in he would be proud of me. I just don’t think they would take it very well, don’t get me wrong I love this house and the people in it, well most of them anyway, its just my parents mean so much to me that I don’t want to disappoint them yeno.” Tears built up in my eye while I was talking. I’m not ashamed to be in Slytherin I’m prouder than I ever thought I could be but I just don’t think I can face my parents right now, it’s a lot of stress on a 12 year old. To make it worse I didn’t even thank them for the new band merch they got me for my birthday.

                “I think you need to tell them, sure nothing is as bad as making your parents disappointed in you but I don’t think they will be disappointed in you if I am perfectly honest. I think they’ll be fine with it and if not then you don’t need them and you know what if they really badly freak out send your owl our way and ill speak to Sev and I’m sure he will come and get you if its necessary, my room is big enough for an extra bed.” She said smiling sympathetically at me.

I smiled back and rolled over to go to sleep. “Hey Mel?” I spoke quietly after 10 or so minutes. “Thank you.”

                “For what?” She asked, the confusion in her voice was very noticeable.

                “For being a better friend than I could have ever asked for.”

                “Not getting all sappy on my now are you?” Mel said laughing

                “Nope, not one bit” I said chucking.

                “Night Charl.” Mel whispered

                “Night Mel.” I whispered.

Not long after we said night I heard muffled snored from Mel’s bed. Millicent, Taylor and Pansy were already fast asleep before we came up from the common room after finishing all our homework we were given over the last week. No matter how hard I try I can’t fall asleep so I reach to the wall and knocked 5 times hoping for an answer.

*knock* *knock* finally he replied. I knocked 6 times then waited for him to reply but it never came, until I heard a soft knock at the door. I climbed out of bed putting my slippers on in the process, I then opened the door to see Draco standing there looking worried.

                “What’s up?” he asked. I burst into tears unable to hold them back any longer. Draco hugged me and led me down the stairs to an empty common room and sat me down on the couch in front of the fire. I calmed myself down and told Draco everything that was bothering me about my parents; he continued to hug me the entire time I was talking. When I finished telling him about everything he pushed me forward slightly making me face him. “You are one of the smartest and most talented witches in this school, there is no reason for your parents to be disappointed in you they should be proud to have a daughter like you.” I looked into his grey eyes and stared at him for a while, then i shut my eyes leaned in and kissed him. Again.

 

 


	13. Trees

** Chapter 13- Trees **

                                                                                  

I woke up late on Saturday morning and stared at the celling for at least half an hour before I pulled myself out of bed. It was one of those days when you’re glad you don’t have lessons so you don’t necessarily have to move out of your bed. But unfortunately I have a stomach the size of Jupiter so I have to eat, it’s a blessing and a curse sometimes. It’s great when you have a starter, a large meal and a large pudding at a restaurant and you don’t feel sick afterwards, but it’s not great you have to move just to eat.

I put on my outfit for the day (<http://www.polyvore.com/outfit_wdily/set?id=175636729> ) and wandered down to breakfast. When I got there Mel, Claire, Draco, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle were already down there and thankfully they were still eating. As I sat down in between Mel and Draco I got a course of mornings from everyone who didn’t witness last night’s events. I got a small smile from Draco as a way of making sure I’m ok, I returned the same smile back to reassure him that I’m definitely ok. I gave his leg a small squeeze and then helped myself to a delicious breakfast.

                “How you feeling today princess” Draco asked me cautiously, as if I was about to explode any minute.

                “I’m fine, I’m better than last night anyway” I said truthfully. “And why the ‘princess’ it’s a bit out of your character isn’t it” I mumbled through a mouthful of bacon.

                “Every prince gotta have a princess he’d fall to shit otherwise” he gave me a cheeky wink making my choke on my bacon.

                “What makes you a prince? Why aren’t you a duke or a joker or a damsel in distress? Why do you think you’re a prince?” I said hiding my cock up. I’m not going to lie Draco is great and not bad looking and I wouldn’t mind being more than friends if you know what I mean ;) but he wouldn’t feel that way about me. I know I’m only a friend in his eyes and that he’s only messing around, but a girl can always dream right.

                “Because A) I don’t even know what a duke or a joker is and B) I’m not a girl. I’ll have you know I am very manly” He said popping his chest slightly at the end of his sentence.

                “Oh yes so manly” the sarcasm dripping like the venom of a snake from my lips.

                “Always the sarcasm.” He whispered to himself but I knew I was supposed to hear it.

                “Guys, has anybody heard from Ashley I haven’t seen her since separated from us to ‘go and do something’ yesterday?” Claire’s voice drifted to my ears from further up the table. Before any thoughts could enter my mind Snape came storming down between our table and the Hufflepuff one.

                “Black’s, Smith, Malfoy. You 4 need to go to the hospital wing immediately. Miss Turner has suffered a nasty fall on her broom.” And with that he made a dramatic turn on his heal and stormed away back up to the teachers table with his cloak flying behind him. Without a word we stood up and ran to the hospital wing.

 

Ashley lay unconscious with a cast around her arm, her leg raised and in a cast, she had a split lip and a sharp cut on the arch of her eyebrow and a black eye, her hair was oddly intact down the side of her face. Her side-fringe looked like she had done it this morning, her hair as curly as a normal day and her lips tinted with red from her favourite cherry lip balm. Over all, aside from the casts and cuts, she did not look like she had even been on a broom let alone fallen off it. She looked so peaceful.

She mumbled words i unable to identify in her sleep and moved slightly. Madame Pomfrey was sat at her desk writing something, I waited until she had stopped before I went over to her.

                “Miss, I was wondering if you could tell me how bad Ashley’s condition is?”

                “Well she hasn’t gained conscience since she fell, she landed funny on her right leg and I haven’t been able to give her any medication to grow it back since she is still unconscious, she was found near the entrance to the forbidden forest so it is possible that she hit some branches on the way down which would explain the black eye, split lip and split eye brow. She also shattered her hip so she won’t be leaving here for at least a week. If you want you can visit her after lessons as long as it’s not too busy. Any other injuries will be determined when she wakes up which could be anything from 2 seconds to 2 weeks, it’s hard to tell when but she is stable that’s all that matters.” Madam Pomfrey said with her words laced with knowledge and intelligence.

We didn’t leave the hospital wing until around 3pm ish when a 3rd year came in to the hospital wing with a broken ankle, he forgot to skip the fake stair on the way up to his common room, so we went back to our own common room.

                “Guyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyysssssssssssssssss I’m boreddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd” Draco’s voice drifted boredly into my ears. “Can we pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee do something fun!”

                “What do you want to do” I answered without a clue about what we could do.

                “Can we go swimming in the lake?”

                “Draco. It’s November! It will be freezing!” I told him, wishing we could actually go swimming, it’s been so long since I went swimming.

                “Oh yeah…” then it stuck me.

                “LETS GO AND CLIMB A TREE!!” I shouted into the common room causing a lot of older students to glare and grumble about the ‘bloody first years’.

                “Yes! Let us go climb le tree!” Mel joined the conversation in her own weird and wonderful way.

 

We wondered into the mouth of the forbidden forest, deep enough to have trees surrounding us but not deep enough to scare the shit out of Draco, because let me tell you his face dropped when he realised there were no decent trees to climb on the grounds of Hogwarts. We went searching and searching for the best trees to climb we found a few but none fulfilled our needs long enough. Mel and Claire were in a tall tree teasing Crabbe and Goyle about how they couldn’t climb up as they were ‘too clumsy and heavy footed for the art of climbing trees’ so Crabbe and Goyle started throwing chunks of bark at the two sisters who tried, and mainly succeeded, at catching them to throw back or dodging them. I stood leaning against a tree smiling at my goofball friends.

                “BOO!” I jumped at least 2 feet in the air, or at least it felt like it. Then I quickly turned and grabbed the neck if the evil toad that scared me.

                “Aginjkanjid” I realized that the evil toad was Draco and let go immediately

                “Sorry what was that I couldn’t quite hear that?” I said as if nothing happened

                “I said aginjkanjid but I meant to say ‘merlin’s beard Charl any need?’” he said with a wink

                “Sorry but you shouldn’t scare people.”

                “You class yourself as a people?” he said winking again. I reached out for his neck but he ran away so I chased him, I hid behind a tree and waited. He turned around and walked backwards slowly.

                “Charlllll, I knew I was fast but am I come on this is ridiculous how far behind are you?” I drew my wand silently and waited until I could see him. “Charlllllll, come out princess.” He came into eyesight and I whispered ‘ _Locomotor Wibbly’_ he fell over so I ran and pounced on his back, putting weight on him.

                “You aren’t fast enough yet blondie, so what was the reason behind my unnecessary scare”

                “charl… I… can’t… breath…”

                “OI! You cheeky cockroach!” I lifted my feet from the floor and put my arms out like an aeroplane making sure every single pound of my weight is on him. “you should never take the piss out of my weight”

                “Charl you weigh less than a feather, I can breathe fine. And my mother raised me better than to take the ‘piss’ out of a woman’s weight. I do like my head attached to my neck thank you very much” I flopped my arms and legs on the ground a huffed back up to sit on the ground.

                “So what was the means on my unnecessary scare?” I asked.

                “Come and see what I found” he said. I looked at him puzzled but I didn’t have time to say anything as he pulled me up from the ground, grabbed my hand and ran back to where we came from. Just before we got into the small clearing where Mel and Claire where still in the tree launching bark at Crabbe and Goyle, Draco stopped and showed me a beautiful tree suitable for anybody to climb (<http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=178235798> ). The tree had low branches making it easy to climb, the size of the tree was big enough for all of us to climb together and still have room for more and the tree was wrapped in leaves of red, pink, gold and brown. There was a slight untouched frost along the branches giving it a slivery glow, making me realise it’s almost Christmas.

                “I-it-it’s beautiful” I said in awe.

                “I know.”

It took me a moment before I snapped out of my awe induced stare and ran to the tree to climb it. In a matter of seconds I was at the top after my ninja like climb. I stood up as straight as I possibly could without almost falling and looked over the tree tops. I saw students on the yard studying and relaxing with their friends, the Gryffindor Quidditch team were having their try-outs today so a lot of their house was in the stands supporting their fellow house mates and friends. Some Slytherins were watching and tormenting the Gryffindor’s to try and put them off, and behind all of this was Hogwarts standing tall and proud behind its pupils.

                “Wow” I said to myself.

                “I know” I jumped half out of my skin and almost fell out of the tree. Draco had climbed up the tree and was standing 2 centimetres away from me. I found my balance again and slapped him on the head.

                “I COULD HAVE FELL!” I shouted at him, birds flew out of their nest in nearby trees.

                “I’M SORRY! Keep your voice down your scaring the birds” he said.

                “You better be! RACE YOU TO THE BOTTOM!” I grabbed branches and ninja’d my way down the tree until I was at a suitable height to jump. By the time I was down Draco was just about to jump.

                “I win!” I shouted, I then hit him and ran back to the others.

 

Today may have started bad but overall it was one of the best days I have ever had here.


	14. Unstable

**Anonymous P.O.V**

_She looks so beautiful._

_Her hair keeps catching the reflection from the lights, it makes it look redder._

_Her lips are slightly chapped, she doesn’t like that._ I picked up her chap stick from her bedside table and smothered her perfect lips. _It made them look slightly red, just the way she likes it._

 _There’s a hair strand out of place._ I grabbed her hair brush and brushed her hair, _perfect._

_She looked so lifeless; this isn’t what was supposed to happen. This was never supposed to happen. She’s going to hate me. He wasn’t supposed to hurt her. She’s never going to talk to me now. She’s never going to forgive me._

_Why does he always have to hurt people? Everything I could ever care about he takes them away from me._

_Why can’t he see she is the most amazing person in the world?_

_Why couldn’t he just leave her alone?_

_She’s just perfect. Not one flaw._

_I wish she was awake so I could tell her how much she means to me. To us. Even though he doesn’t see it, I know she is important to him too._

_I need to control him, so that he won’t hurt her again._

_I won’t let him hurt her again, I WON’T!_

_HE CAN’T!_

**_He thinks he has a choice._ **

**_He’s weak. He wouldn’t have lasted this long without me. He’s lucky I can’t leave him. He needs me._ **

**_He doesn’t need her._ **

**_Why can’t he see that?_ **

**_I should have killed her when I had the chance. Why didn’t the fall kill her? It should have killed her._  I punched the nearest thing to me and stormed out of the hospital wing, _I can’t look at her any more, the ugly bitch. She should have died. Why didn’t she die?_**

**_He can’t control me the stupid cunt. Who does he think he is? He can’t control me nobody can; mother found that out the hard way, you’d think he’d learn from her misfortune. You’d think he would know how badly I could hurt him, but no he carries on caring about people._ **

**_Doesn’t he know people are going to hurt him the most?_ **

**_Doesn’t he see that she isn’t going to care the way he does?_ **

**_Why can’t he just listen to me?_ **

_  
_


	15. Mummy

**Ashley’s P.O.V**

 

Everything is black. All around me is black.

I tried to open my eyes but they wouldn’t open.

I can’t hear anything, just deathly silence.

I can’t move, I know I’m lying down but I can’t sit up. Why can’t I move?

In front of me a blue ball of light appeared, I tried to touch it but my arm wouldn’t move, yet a ghostly figure of my arm reached out and touched it. As the ghostly fingers grasped the ball I felt a large pull as it sucked the ghost me into it.

Then I was standing in a field, I looked behind me and saw a body lying on the ground. I walked over to the body; from 2 feet away I could tell it was mine. I screamed out load as I saw a pool of blood around my leg, why hasn’t someone found me yet? Hasn’t anybody noticed I’ve disappeared yet? What happened to me? I touched my leg and felt a large lump on my shin where the blood was exiting; on the back of my leg was a second lump, parallel to the first, my bone must have snapped clean in two. That’s gonna hurt like a bitch when I wake up. What happened? Someone flew into, didn’t they? The shadow figure stood over me. Who’s that? I couldn’t see. As much as I peered under the hood of the cloak that cocooned his body, still it wasn’t enough for me to see who he was. Did I know him? Had I made an enemy? How did I? Surely I wasn’t that bad, was I?

Another blue orb appeared by the black figure. If I touch it I won’t be able to find out who the black figure is, but to be honest I don’t think that I ever will. I reached out and touched the orb. The same pull I had the last time I touched the last one.

I was in a white room; it looked like my bedroom back home but with no colour.

My mum appeared sitting on the bed; unlike the rest of the room she was not white she looked like she did before my dad went downhill, she was wearing her favourite blue dress with long sleeves and a brown belt and brown pumps (<http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=179941478> ). Her skin was clean of all bruises that once clung to her body like leaches.

                “Mummy?” I said, my voice sounded childlike, like I was 9 again. She didn’t say anything, she didn’t have to, she just opened her arms and I rushed into her arms. “Where am I? Why are you here?” I asked pulling away from my mum slightly

                “My sweet baby girl, I have missed you so much. Now I need you to listen to me very carefully ok?” she led me towards the bed and sat down on the end of the bed identical to the one at home. I nodded and waited for her to carry on.

                “What is the last thing you remember sweetie?” I thought back to earlier today.

                “I was at try-outs and I got put on the team with Claire. Then I went to go and practise on my own to make sure I was better and… and… I fell or something or someone knocked me off… I can’t remember what happened after that.” I said to my mum.

                “Someone pushed you sweetie. I saw the fall but I didn’t recognise the boy who did it, I haven’t seen him around the school before, mainly because I’m always looking out for you but this I didn’t see coming until it was too late. I’m so sorry baby I should have stopped it. Anyway at the moment you’re unconscious in the hospital wing at school, a Gryffindor named Neville, I think his name was, found you in the middle of the night and your friends are worried sick. I need you to wake up, ok?”

                “But I want to stay here with you, I miss you mummy. Please don’t leave me again, don’t make me go back” I said crying, it’s been 2 years since I last saw her, 2 years since my dad killed her in a drunken rage. He’s in Azkaban now and he will be for the rest of his long miserable life.

                “I know honey but you need to, I’m always with you. In here” she pointed to my heart and I hugged her. I hugged her as much as I could before all that was around me was the busy hospital wing.

 

Madam Pomfrey ran over to me and told me to drink something that with take the pain away. Then it all hit me at once, the business of the hospital wing, the fall, the pain and all the different smells of the castle, everything came rushing to life like a slap in the face from reality.

                “Don’t move whatever you do, you will regret it instantly.” Madam Pomfrey told me as I took a mouthful of the medicine she gave me. It tasted like coffee, I hate coffee.

I spent all day in the hospital wing catching up on my school work but by the end of the day I was caught up with all of the work I was sent and was growing boarder by the second. Just as I was about to call for Madam Pomfrey Claire and Charlotte appeared at the door.

                “YOU’RE AWAKE!!!” Claire shouted and rushed to hug me. I hugged her back and then hugged Charlotte.

                “Do you know what happened yet?” Charlotte asked, her voice laced with concern.

                “No, not yet.” I couldn’t tell them that I was pushed because knowing them they would flip ape shit, and question every person in the school until they knew who did it so they could murder them. And to be honest I wish that was an exaggeration, but that’s what they would do.

                “How come?” Claire asked

                “I-I can’t remember anything” I hate lying to her but it’s for her own good.

                “Anything? Nothing at all?”

                “Nope. Sorry guys, I am trying to remember but I- I just can’t” I said.

                “Its ok, don’t hurt yourself over it. But I hope you know when we find out who did this to you we will personally kill him after we have made sure his injury’s mimic yours as best as we can.” Claire said very seriously before bursting out in laughter, me and Charlotte joined in. Charlotte and Claire also brought me some books to read so I wasn’t bored when they had to go.

 

The three of us talked and laughed until Madame Pomfrey sent them away before they got into trouble. She also told me that as long as my health got better I should be out of here by the end of lessons tomorrow. I didn’t realise how tired I was until my head hit my pillow and I fell into a deep sleep.


	16. Quidditch

** Chapter 16- Quidditch **

****

Ashley made a full recovery in time for the first match of the season, against Gryffindor.

All of us, Myself, Draco, Mel, Claire, Ashley, Crabbe, Goyle with somebody I didn’t know but Mel seemed to know him fairly well, sat in eating breakfast waiting to go down to the Quidditch pitch to support our team. The whole of Hogwarts was bursting with excitement with the thought of the first match. Me and Mel didn’t know if we were on the team yet so Flint had to use the reserves for the match and training, and he wasn’t very happy about it at all, apparently they are as much use to the team as Hagrid is to blend in with the goblins at Gringotts. That image in its self was very funny.

Claire and Ashley both said goodbye to use and then left to get changed for the match.

                “So, Melly moo are you going to introduce us to your attractive friend, or am I going to have to find out myself?” I put my fist under my chin and raised my eyebrows at my best friend, she had not mentioned this person’s existence as you can tell, before so I shall have to ask her properly after the match.

                “Anyone would think that you like him” Draco mumbled to himself.

                “And anyone would think your jealous” I said mumbling back to him before I turned back to the rest of the group. “So? I haven’t got all day”

                “Well, Charl, this is River. He’s in second year. He is actually the drummer that Blaise was talking about.” She said, timidly. A little too timid for Mel, something was definitely up.

                “Ahh right so-”

I didn’t get a chance to finish my sentence as two owls flew down from over the teachers table. I immediately recognised my own owl Heidi. But why does she have a package with her? I haven’t sent her anywhere since I arrived at Hogwarts. The owls dropped the packages in front of me and Mel. I sent her a confused look and she did the same to me. We both opened the packages at the same time. Inside them was a Nimbus 2000 and a full Slytherin Quidditch uniform googles and all. Mel had an identical package. There was one thing left in the box after I had took out the uniform and the broom stick, a letter. On the envelope was familiar handwriting but I couldn’t quite put my finger on where I had seen it before.

‘ _Congratulations Miss Smith,_

_Welcome to the Slytherin Quidditch Team_

_~Sev_ ’

Snape! That’s where I had seen the handwriting before, in potions.

                “Melllll….”

                “Yeahhh….” She said mimicking my tone full of equal amounts of shock and surprise as my own

                “WE’RE ON THE TEAM!” We said together.

“Guys we got to go, shall see you later. BYEEEEE” I shouted to our friends as we both flung our uniforms over our shoulders and our extra bits in our bags and grabbed our broom sticks and ran to find Flint.

He was in the Slytherin Quidditch changing room. We walked in the changing room and stood our brooms up and lent on them, our uniforms still on our shoulders. I handed him my letter and a smile replaced the grim look he had on before.

                “Guys that’s great!” he said. “HIGGS! BOLE! YOU’RE NOT NEEDED NOW! SO PISS OFF!” he shouted at the two reserve players. They didn’t look very happy, one of them shoulder barged Mel’s left shoulder so I stuck my foot out and tripped him up as he passed as I was stood slightly behind Mel so her right shoulder was in line with my left. Hey, I wasn’t put into Slytherin for nothing you know.

We got changed into our uniform (http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=181452402), mounted our brooms and flew off in the Quidditch pitch. The Gryffindor team were already waiting for us.

                “HELLO AND WELCOME TO HOGWARTS FRIST QUIDDITCH GAME OF THE SEASON. TODAY’S GAME SLYTHERIN VS GRYFFINDOR!” Lee Jordan’s voiced boomed over the noise of everyone cheered as we did warm up laps around the pitch. I spotted Draco and Blaise in the stands cheering for me and Mel. We all stopped circling the pitch, making a circle around myself, Harry and Madame Hooch, who was on his ground, waiting for the match to start.

                “Now I want a nice fair game, all of you” Madame Hooch she aimed at Flint. She kicked the ball trunk open and the snitch flew out and circled around my head, then Harrys and then it went over to the Gryffindor goal post. I kept an eye on it but tried to hide it so that Harry didn’t follow my eye view. I remembered what Flint said, ‘Don’t get the snitch straight way wait until either we have 50 points, or Gryffindor have 30 points or Harry goes for the snitch.’ Hooch let the rest of the balls go and the match began.

                “And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor- what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive too-”

                “JORDAN”

                “Sorry, Professor” Lee continued his commentary while being closely watched by McGonagall

                “And she’s really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood’s, last year only a reserve- back to Johnson and- no, Slytherin have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes- Flint flying like an eagle up there- he’s going to score- and he gets it in the hoop.” his voice dropped in disappointment “10- nil to Slytherin” They Slytherins cheered loud and proud as Flint scored.

“Black takes the ball and passes it to Flint, Flint passes it back to Black and she scores again 20 – nil to Slytherin.” The cheers never managed to stop as the second Quaffle got in almost as fast as it went in the first time.

                “Gryffindor take the Quaffle- that’s Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field- OUCH- that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger hit by one of the newest Beater for Slytherin the first year Melony Black she has a really good swing and she is not too bad looking for a first ye-”

                “JORDAN IM WARNING YOU!” McGonagall shouted at him. He’s not wrong though she is really pretty.

                “Quaffle taken by Slytherin- that’s Aiden Pucey speeding off towards the goalposts, but he’s blocked by a Bludger- sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can’t tell which- nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes- she’s really flying- dodges a speeding Bludger- the goalposts are ahead- come one now Angelina- Keeper Bletchley dives- misses- and GYRFFINDOR SCORE! 20-10 to Slytherin” I watched as the snitch flew around Claire’s broom and sat on the bristles taking a ride with her, she doesn’t realise that it is there obviously. I did circles around the pitch ‘looking’ for the snitch. I flew close to flint, close enough to see him nod his head. And with that I flew towards the Gryffindor goal post where the snitch had moved to. Harry watched me move and followed me, I didn’t speed up I waited until he had caught up and then sped up in front of me when he had no more to extra speed to gain I sped up and pulled in front of him catching the snitch within my hand. I held the snitch to my heart and dived up to the air ‘following the snitch again’ Harry didn’t see me take the snitch so he followed me unknowingly. A large cheer came from the Slytherin crowd again as we scored our third goal of the match. I stopped flying and help up the snitch for the whole school to see.

                “CHARLOTTE SMITH HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! Slytherin win” The whole team came around me and celebrated.

                “PARTY IN THE COMMON ROOMMMMMM!!!!” Flint shouted.

When we got back to the common room I went upstairs to get changed (<http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=181455606>) into a black dress, black heels and little cat ears because I’m feeling particularly weird today, Mel got changed (<http://www.polyvore.com/mel_quidditch_party_wdily/set?id=181828768> ) into a black sparkly dress, black heels and jewellery. We walked out of our dorm to meet everyone else at the party in the common room. The music had started about an hour ago, well almost as soon as we got back to our dorms from the pitch really, so most people were at the party already. We walked down the stairs and everybody’s eyes turned to look at the pair of us as we descended the stairs, my face and ears reddened and continued until my eyes locked with Draco’s. The red faded from my face and everyone else’s presence faded away from the room, nobody else mattered just him. I carried on walking down the stairs, eyes still locked on Draco.

                “You look beautiful, well more beautiful than normal, if that’s even possible. Which I thought it wasn’t I mean look at you’re your beaut-” I took his face with my hands and pulled him towards me, and kissed him. Our lips moved in sync and the kiss lasted a life time and we only stopped because of the damned respiration system, I opened my eyes only for them to find my best friends eyes again “What was that for?” he asked breaking the silence, but not the eye contact.

                “You need to learn when to shut up.” We laughed until our sides hurt and went to the makeshift dance floor. I lost myself in the music and once again, his eyes. His beautiful grey eyes.

(<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSDgHBxUbVQ> )

“Loving can hurt, Loving can hurt sometimes” Ed Sheeran, photograph, driffed from the speakers into my ears.

                “Dance with me?” Draco asked. I nodded and took his heart as we lost our selves into the music.

“When it gets hard, You know it can get hard sometimes, It is the only thing that makes us feel alive.

“We keep this love in a photograph, We made these memories for ourselves, Where our eyes are never closing, Hearts are never broken, Times forever frozen still.

“So you can keep me, Inside the pocket, Of your ripped jeans, Holdin' me closer, ‘Til our eyes meet, You won't ever be alone, Wait for me to come home.            

“Loving can heal, Loving can mend your soul, And it's the only thing that I know (know), I swear it will get easier, Remember that with every piece of ya, And it's the only thing we take with us when we die.

“We keep this love in this photograph, We made these memories for ourselves, Where our eyes are never closing, Our hearts were never broken, Times forever frozen still.

“So you can keep me, Inside the pocket, Of your ripped jeans, Holdin' me closer, 'Til our eyes meet, You won't ever be alone.

“And if you hurt me, That's OK, baby, only words bleed, Inside these pages you just hold me, And I won't ever let you go.

“Wait for me to come home, Wait for me to come home, Wait for me to come home, Wait for me to come home.

“Oh you can fit me, Inside the necklace you got when you were 16, Next to your heartbeat, Where I should be, Keep it deep within your soul.

“And if you hurt me, Well, that's OK, baby, only words bleed, Inside these pages you just hold me, And I won't ever let you go.

“When I'm away, I will remember how you kissed me, Under the lamppost, Back on 6th street, Hearing you whisper through the phone.

"Wait for me to come home."

 

I kissed Draco again before being dragged away by Mel and Haleigh to dance to Twenty-one Pilots. Haleigh was wearing a gorgeous aqua dress with lilac hair and lilac makeup to match (http://www.polyvore.com/haleigh_quidditch_party_wdily/set?id=181978265). The next thing I knew Pansy was stumbling towards me pointing her finger at me.

                “Why does everyone like you? I don’t see the big fuss about you to be honest, you’re not a nice person, you’re not talented and you’re not smart. You’re not even that pretty. I mean why does someone as good looking as him want to be with someone as ugly as you he could do so much better, YOUR NOT EVEN PRETTY!! IM SO MUCH PRETTIER THAN YOU WHY CAN’T I WIN HIM OVER YOU!!” the whole time she kept her finger pointed at me and she was stumbling towards me, the only time she moved her point was when she was talking about Draco. By the time she finished her ‘speech’ she was arm’s length away from me. I could smell the stench of her alcohol infused breath from here.

                “PANSY. Snap out of it! Your breath stinks!” is it even legal for a eleven year old to be this drunk? Snape is gonna kill us. Oh poop.

                “Don’t you dare talk to me. You filthy little mudblood”

                “OH FOR FUCK SAKE IM A PUREBLOOD! YOU PEOPLE NEED NEW INSULTS AROUND HERE! NOW IF YOU DON’T GET YOUR CHUBBY FINGER OUT OF MY FACE BEFORE I BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF YOU!” I went to walk away when she grabbed my hair, why do girls go for the hair I mean come on its not going to hurt anyone! I kicked her ankle, grabbed her wrists and put my thumb on her pressure point and dug me nails in, she let me go so I then reached for my wand and pointed it towards her toad like face.

                “ _Furnunculus”_ I said, in a sickly sweet voice. I watched the boils grow on her face and her hands and everywhere, I stood up and looked down on her. “When you sober up and realise how ridiculous you are, come and ask me for the counter curse” by the time she wakes up tomorrow the spots would have formed the word ‘bitch’ on her for head and her cheeks would be covered in spots still. To be honest I don’t actually know the counter curse but i might just accidentally turn her green.

 

Me, Mel, Haleigh, Draco, Blaise, River and a few other people claimed a corner of the common room and talked for the rest of the night and well into the morning. Today was a very good day; it’s a pity it had to end really.


	17. Journey Home

**Chapter 17- Journey Home**  
   
I woke up surrounded by a familiar blanket of green and silver. The curtains surrounding my 4 post bed blocking out the harsh sunlight. I propped myself up on my elbows and pain rushed up to my head, I could feel the pulse in my temples. I don’t know why my head hurts so much... I didn’t even drink last night. I moved the curtain slightly and regretted it instantly, the sunlight burst through the curtain and blinded me instantly. I hissed and closed my eyes to recover from my temporary blindness.   
"You sound like shit" Mel's voice.    
"Thanks bestie, love you too" I croaked out sarcastically.   
"I know you do, now get up we need to pack." she said opening the curtains on my bed, her very messy hair was a sight to laugh at on its ow.   
"You look like shit" I said mimicking the voice she used on me only 2 minutes before. She just looked at me, well it was more of a glare and stuck her middle finger up at me and walked into our attached bathroom.   
   
I sat myself up, with great effort might I add, and tried to wake myself up. I looked around the room, Taylor and Millicent have already left but Pansy was still in bed. PANSY! I almost forgot about last night, everything came rushing back the argument, the spells, dancing, ...Draco...    
Everything is packed and ready to go, all that was left to do was eat food and wait for 12 o’clock when the train leaves to take me home for 2 weeks of boredom and social isolation.  I cant wait for Christmas like but my family wont like it when I tell them about my school life so far, the whole Slytherin thing plus my close relationship with a Malfoy isn't something they'll be proud about.    
"What's on your mind" a voice broke me out of my thoughts, Draco looked at me waiting for me to answer.   
"I don’t want to go back" I said, not particularly wanting to talk about it.    
"Why?"    
"I’m going to miss you lot"    
"Well, it’s only for 2 weeks and hopefully less if you stop by the manor”  
"For anything in particular?" I asked curiously  
"The Malfoy Christmas Eve ball, I'll be sending you a formal invitation when I get back once my mum has got them ready. I'll also be sending Mel, Claire and Blaise one so hopefully we can make a night of it and catch up before we go back to school"    
"Sounds fun, I’ll talk to my mum and dad"   
“Good I don’t want to have to wait 2 weeks to see my best friend again”   
   
We pulled into Kings-cross station and there was a sea of parents anxious to meet their children after 3 months of separation. I grabbed Mel and pulled her out of the door so we can get off as fast as possible so I didn’t get stuck in a long queue of people pushing and shoving to get off of the train. I spotted my dad in between one of the columns, although I couldn’t find my mum as she is tiny compared to my dad.  
                “I found my dad, he’s over there” I pointed in his general direction not being too specific “Have you found your uncle yet?” I asked turning to see her standing on her tip toes to try and find her uncle  
                “THERE” She shouted “I found him. Right, make sure you keep in touch with us and make sure we organise to meet up before school, OK!” I hugged my best friends and said good bye to everyone before making my way to my mum and dad.  
                “HEY! There’s our baby girl!” my dad said and hugged me. “How was your first term munchkin?”  
                “It was good, dad.” Keeping it short, yet trying to postpone the dreaded house conversation. We walked back to the muggle car that dad has enchanted so that it drives by itself, all dad has to do is sit there with his hands on the searing wheel.  
                “So, go on then baby, what house are you in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff.”  
                “Neither… I’m a Slytherin” I whispered to myself praying that he didn’t hear me  
                “What was that, love?”  
                “Slytherin. I belong to Slytherin.” My voice was bolder, stronger. It's about time I realised that I have nothing to be ashamed of, sure they’re more bad people from Slytherin than the other houses but what about the others we had Merlin for Christ sake, I should be proud of my house and from now on I will be.  
                “I knew this would happen” my dad whispered to my mum, I bit my tongue and pretended I didn’t hear him.  
   
I walked into my house and chucked my bags in the hall. Pictures of every birthday I had celebrated in this house hung along the hall, my 3rd birthday was the first on the wall as all of my baby photos from birth to a 2 years old were destroyed in a house fire during the wizarding war (luckily my parents weren’t in the house). My 3rd birthday photo was me in my pink high chair with a princess cake, my 4th birthday me sat on a chair behind my castle cake mimicking the 1st photo, all of my birthday photos looked the same but so different at the same time, they showed how much I had changed from the year before in my physical appearance and the cake as well, the cakes showed what I loved the most at that point in my life and each cake varied so much from the last one. These photos wouldn’t continue any more as my 12th birthday I spent at Hogwarts without a cake and without my family by my side and this is how it will be for the rest of my childhood, that thought made me realise how lucky I actually was to have a family that loved me.  
                 
                “Did you eat on the train?” my mum asked as she popped her head around the kitchen door frame  
                “Yeah”  
                “Ok love, go on up to bed you must be exhausted.”  
                “Okay, night mum. NIGHT DAD!” I shouted towards my dad who was sitting in the living room. The shout wasn’t necessary but I wanted to make sure he had heard me.  
                “NIGHT!” he shouted back. As I walked up the stairs towards my bedroom more photos met my gaze; my mum and dad on their wedding day, me and my mum in a field, me and my dad riding an elephant at a circus, me when I was 6 with no front teeth. I walked into my bedroom and let Heidi out to hunt overnight, then collapsed on my bed, as soon as my head hit the pillow my eyelids got heavier and heavier until I was surrounded by black and I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep  
   
I woke up to the sound of tapping on the window Heidi tapping on the window, I let her in and out of the cold then grabbed my dressing gown, put on my slippers and walked out of my room.  
                “I knew this day would come, honey we have to tell her”  
                “No, she’s too young we can’t do this to her, it will kill her” my father and mother whisper shouted at each other.  
                “She’s already being affected by this, what is everyone else going think of us when they realise that the child we raised is a Slytherin!” my dad said to my mum. “We have to tell her, and we have to tell her soon”  
                “Tell me what.” Curiosity got the better of me and my feet began to move on their own accord, next thing I know I’m staring at my mum and dad waiting for answers. My mums face was whiter than normal and my dad’s stare was cold.  
                “Sit down sweetheart” my mum said. “Your dad has something to tell you”  
                “What, just me that’s not fair I thought we were a team” my dad shot back, looking hurt  
                “We are but you basically made this decision that she MUST know so now you are going to tell her what you think that she MUST know ok”  
                “Ok but were supos-“  
                “Can you just tell me what you think I MUST know!” I almost shouted, my patients was growing thin and my stomach was getting emptier and emptier as they wasted time.  
                “Right… well… erm… see the thing is… you must get angry with us when we tell you because… well because we did this with your best interest at heart and well… just hear us out and let us finish before you ask any questions as it may be answered in our explanation, okay?” my dad said cautiously  
                “Okay” I simply said, waiting for an ‘explanation’  
                “Well, do you remember when you know how came into power?” I nodded “well do you remember how it ended”  
                “The Potters, when you know who came for them he killed James and then Lily used magic to save Harry. Then you know who disappeared and hasn’t come back since. Why, what has that got to do with anything?”  
                “Well, not many people know how he was stopped and well, I think you need to know how.  
When the Potters found out that he was after them they went into hiding that only 2 people in the world knew where they were hiding. On Halloween night the potters were on their way to put Harry into his crib when the door was broken down and he walked in, he killed because he shouted to Lilly warning her of you know who’s intrusion, he then made his way up the stairs to Lilly. Lily put up a strong, brave fight but she was no match for him, she was wandless and left with nothing but her words but he was a cruel, ruthless and poor excuse for a human being and he killed her to get to her babies. But shortly after he killed Lily he had about a seconds worth of feeling victorious before he was stopped by an unexplained amount of power. However, Dumbledore being the brilliant man he is proposed a theory of how it may have happened. Now this is the part that the public don’t know.  
Harry had an older sister who was 10 months older than him, I know it sounds odd but shortly after the potters had their daughter Lily fell pregnant again, this happened as they had struggled to get pregnant so they used fertility potions, however they were more effective than they realised because a month after their daughter was born they fell pregnant with Harry. The reason nobody knows about Harry’s sister is because the public believe that she died the night of the Potters deaths and they didn’t want to put her on the statues and memorials because it would be too morbid for everyone else. However that is not entirely true, their daughter isn’t dead and that one of the reasons she hasn’t been in the memorials and the other is because she was put into the adoption system and her adoptive parents didn’t want her to find out until they thought she was ready to find out. I guess today is that day… because well… You are the Potters oldest child…”  
                “Why didn’t you tell me!” I shouted at the people who had raised me, I didn’t realise I was angry until I shouted. I didn’t realise I had tears streaming down my face until I was brought back into reality. I didn’t realise my life was a lie until my dad brought my world to a stop before it crashed down in front of me.  
                “We didn’t want you to grow up knowing that your parents were dead or that you were never going to have a normal life. We wanted you to grow up happy and not be the odd one out of your friends. We wanted you to feel the same as everyone else” this time it was my mother who spoke, she didn’t talk the entire time my dad destroyed everything I had ever known she just stood by the window with tears streaming down her face but now she turned to face me yet the tears still came like a gushing waterfall.  
                “I will never be normal now so your efforts were pointless! I need to clear my head… I need space” and with that I walked out of the living room and up my stairs. The photos I had passed less than 12 hours before now fuelled a ball of anger inside me, each birthday was a lie, the fire that destroyed the first 2 years of my life was a lie, and the family photos that followed me everywhere I turned were all a lie. There was no escape in this house, the walls started to close in on me so I didn’t the only thing I knew would work for definite. I sent an owl out to warn them in advance, packed my trunk and walked down the stairs and out of my house. The cold air hit me and the tear tracks on my face froze into my face.  
I stood outside the tall house and knocked on the door. As the door creeped open the familiar face appeared through the door with Heidi perched on their shoulder, and then I burst into tears.


End file.
